Frozen Pizza Cooking Tips: How Your DTP Can Taste Even More Delicious

Aside from removing the plastic and throwing out the cardboard (which we would hope is obvious), it is possible to cook Dogtown Pizza so that it tastes even more delicious than it already does. With these few easy (yet effective) frozen pizza cooking tips, you can have that enviable golden brown crust and perfectly melted cheese, just the way you deserve.

#1. Know Your Oven

Every oven operates differently, so it’s important to know what kind of oven you have. Gas, electric, propane, convection, and combination ovens will all cook/bake your pizza differently. That is, the cook time will vary depending on the type of oven you have. Gas ovens are especially tricky for cooking frozen pizza, so we recommend using a pizza stone to ensure that the crust gets evenly crispy and brown. A large, rectangular stone will also help with even cooking. No matter what oven you have, check the progress of your pizza about halfway through cooking time to make sure it’s cooking the way you want it to.

#2. Bake Longer at a Lower Temperature

The key to perfecting that St. Louis-style cracker-like crust is lowering the temperature on your oven (slightly) and letting it bake a little longer than normal. The standard for baking DTP (depending on your preference) is anywhere between 10-17 minutes at 425°. But if you really want that crispy golden brown quality, try decreasing the temperature about 25° and then increasing the bake time by five minutes. You can increase the bake time more as needed; just be sure to keep an eye on your pizza to keep it from burning.

#3. Finish with the Broiler

Want that cheese to be bubbly and amazing? Stop baking 1-2 minutes early and flip on the broiler instead, allowing the top of the pizza to finish up beautifully and give you that delectable cheesiness you’ve been craving. But only let it broil for a minute or two–boilers work quickly and will burn your pizza if you don’t keep an eye on it!

#4. Let it Rest

Though it might be tempting to just cut into that bubbling, hot pizza immediately after pulling it from the oven, don’t. For the love of all that is holy, DON’T. Like a good steak, always let the pizza rest 2 to 3 minutes before slicing and serving. This will allow the cheese to stop bubbling and for all those elements (meat, cheese, sauce) to settle so you can easily slice into squares and serve at a safe temperature. We get it: waiting an extra two minutes is agony when DTP is sitting fresh and hot on the counter. But trust us–you’ll thank yourself later for holding out.

You deserve a frozen pizza that’s cooked to perfection. We hope the frozen pizza cooking tips mentioned above are helpful on your quest to frozen pizza glory. So get cooking!