If you are one for a quick meal, then I can assure you that cooking some frozen French bread pizza can get you full and satisfied. It is like a cheat code, as you can get this meal ready in about 10 minutes. Ride with me as I show you how to prepare this quick and sumptuous meal.
Ingredients and instructions
All you need is frozen French bread pizza, which can be gotten at any store near you.
You must note that for the best results, always preheat your air fryer before using it. The idea is to get it hot enough before placing your frozen pizzas inside.
- The first thing to do is to preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Now place the frozen bread pizzas in the air fryer basket. Ensure that they are properly spaced.
- Let the pizza air fry for 5 minutes.
- Then allow it to cool before removing and serving.
Which is better among an air fryer, microwave, and stovetop for heating up a frozen bread pizza?
The microwave heats up the pizza fast, but in doing so, it leaves the crust soggy. The stovetop, on the other hand, can give you a crispy crust, but the toppings suffer for it, as the end result is not as sizzling as you would want.
This makes an air fryer the best option.
The hot, circulating air within that confined space creates the ideal combination to ensure that your crust is crisp and your toppings are properly heated.
Is it better to bake or air-fry a frozen pizza?
Using air fryers as an alternative to conventional ovens is a wonderful idea. The reason for this is that air fryers do not take as long to preheat as standard ovens. This will help you save time and get your meal ready as quickly as possible.
In addition to this, air fryers give you a wonderful pizza crust. Hence, you don’t have to worry about soggy pizzas anymore.
Why is my frozen pizza crust soggy?
One thing that can make your frozen pizza soggy is the fact that your oven was yet to reach the optimal temperature before placing it in.
This means that your pizza won’t cook thoroughly.
Another reason for soggy pizza is the result of toppings with high water content. If you also added a lot more toppings or used too much sauce, your pizza could end up soggy.
How do I stop my homemade pizza from being soggy and undercooked?
Cook the pizza at the optimal temperature.
Getting the oven temperature right is very crucial to ensuring that you get your pizza all crispy and crusty in the right places. If your oven isn’t hot enough, you might have trouble getting your pizza done properly. The recommended temperature for cooking pizza is between 400 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Allowing the oven to reach the desired temperature before placing your pizza in it is a good rule of thumb.
Add toppings in moderation.
When preparing a pizza, one key thing to note is that adding too many toppings can be an issue. The presence of too many toppings can prevent heat from getting to the base of the pizza. As a result, there might be patches of moisture later around the base of a pizza, and this will lead to sogginess.
How to use fresh mozzarella
As delicious as fresh mozzarella cheese might seem, using it on a pizza isn’t usually the best option. This is due to the fact that fresh mozzarella cheese has high water content, and as a result, it could cause your pizza to become soggy.
The best option is to stick with dry cheeses like Cheddar due to their low water content.
Do not use watery sauces.
Another thing to watch out for is the consistency of the sauces that you apply to your pizza. Go for sauces with a thicker consistency, and also watch that you do not add way more than necessary.
One thing to remember about watery sauces is that they will be in contact with the base of the pizza and create a whole lot of steam that can make the pizza soggy.
Resist the urge to add the sauce or toppings too early.
When making pizza at home, it can be very tempting to try out all your favorite toppings. However, you must be able to wait for the right time to add on the sauce and your toppings. You shouldn’t, and you should add the toppings before you put the pizza in the oven. If you prepare both the sauce and toppings early and allow them to sit around while the straw formula sauce and toppings seep into the dough, making it soggy,
What Should I Do If My Pizza is Soggy or Undercooked?
It might happen that your pizza comes out soggy and undercooked. Is there a solution? Fortunately, the answer is yes. This is what you can do to rectify the situation.
Place your pizza on the lower shelf of the oven. This exposes it to high temperatures. Now lower the temperature and allow it to cook for a few more minutes. This way, your toppings won’t overcook or burn.
Should you find yourself faced with a pizza that doesn’t seem to want to cook evenly, there are some steps that you can follow to rectify these issues.
Things to try out in your air fryer
Juicy chicken breasts
Air fryers are a good option for cooking some juicy chicken breasts. It could be a better alternative to even using an oven or stove. However, make sure to minimally rub your chicken breasts if using a dry rub. Don’t overseason! And the closed nature of an air fryer prevents the juices of the chicken from evaporating as compared to other methods.
Steak
If you have never tried cooking steak in an air fryer, then you are missing out. All you need is a bit of practice, and you’ll be avoiding all the smoke and fire from a conventional grill.
You also end up preventing the mess that searing a steak can leave on a grill rack or stovetop.
Cookies
Cookies are quick to prepare, so they’ll try it in an air fryer because an air fryer doesn’t take long to preheat.
Having some cookie dough on hand is a great idea. And you can easily pop in some cookie dough from your freezer and watch it turn into wonderful, tasty, brown cookies in no time.
Fries and chips
Air fryers are a healthy alternative to conventional deep-fat fryers. This is because frying your chips would require less oil to give them that crispy finish. All you might need to do is add a tablespoon of oil to your chips and place them in your air fryer. But wonderful, crunchy chips will be ready in no time.
What are some things to avoid cooking in an air fryer?
Wet batter.
Foods such as corn dogs and tempura that have wet batter are bad ideas for your air fryer. If there isn’t enough hot oil surrounding it, you are in for a mess, and you will lose that crispiness you are seeking.
Large roasts or whole chickens.
The thing to consider in this situation is the fact that putting a large roast or whole chicken in your air fryer might not be a perfect fit. It’s better to use conventional ovens for that. The other consideration is the fact that it might not cook through properly due to its size
One part of the roast, the side closest to the heat source, might burn and dry out while the other part could be undercooked.
Overseasoned proteins and vegetables seasoned with a dry rub
A dry surface with seasonings usually doesn’t end well for your air fryer. Your beef, chicken, or turkey, if seasoned with a dry rub, shouldn’t be placed in an air fryer. The hot air circulating in the air fryer can blow off the seasonings from the surfaces of your proteins and veggies. There’s also the possibility of the seasoning falling through the basket.
Cheese
Placing cheese in an air fryer can lead to a gooey mess. You won’t be getting the same outer crust that you would get from frying something like a mozzarella stick.
