DiGiorno is a very popular brand of pre-made pizzas. They are quick and easy to cook while still being high-quality and tasty. The simplistic method of placing them in an oven and cooking may seem easy to follow,. But it is sometimes a challenge to know the best temperature to cook them at. Let’s explore what the perfect DiGiorno pizza temp is!
Table of Contents
- Best Temperature For Cooking A DiGiorno Pizza
- How To Cook A DiGiorno Pizza
- How Do You Know When DiGiorno Pizza Is Done?
- Are Frozen Pizzas Good?
- FAQs on DiGiorno Pizza Temp
Best Temperature For Cooking A DiGiorno Pizza
Deciding the temperature to use while cooking your pizza might not be something you have considered putting much thought into. But there are a few reasons why you might want to reevaluate this.
It is commonly said that a higher temperature will result in a faster cooking time. So therefore it is the best. However, this is wrong as a higher temperature is more likely to overcook your food and make it very dry. Cooking at a slightly lower temperature might take a bit longer. But the food is more likely to be evenly cooked and still moist.
The official DiGiorno website implies that 400 degrees F is the perfect DiGiorno pizza temp for cooking. And who am I to disagree?
While this temperature might be ideal, the cooking times can still vary depending on what type of oven you have. Some ovens are gas or electric and some come with fan-assisted features that circulate the heat a lot more efficiently. If the oven is more efficient, the temperature can remain the same yet the pizza will be cooked faster. This should be taken into account and can be countered by keeping a relatively close eye on your pizza.
Alongside this, there are also different recommended timings for each type of pizza that DiGiorno sells. The stuffed crust pizzas that are sold have a shorter cooking time than the crispy pan crust pizzas. It will say on the box what type of pizza it is and what the cooking times are for it.
How To Cook A DiGiorno Pizza
Cooking a DiGiorno pizza is incredibly easy to do as there are very few steps involved. The longest step is simply waiting for it to cook, every other step only takes a few seconds at the most.
- Firstly, you are going to want to remove your pizza from the cardboard box it came in. This can be done easily by opening it from one of the sides that have been lightly glued together. Once the box is open, leave the box on the side as you will need to look at it soon. There will be a thin layer of plastic around your pizza. You must remove this before you cook and consume your food. This can be done by ripping it off with your hands or by using scissors to cut it off. This plastic can then be discarded.
- Now that your pizza is free of any packaging, place it on an oven-safe tray. This can be made out of glass, ceramic, metal, or anything else you might have. It is just important that it is safe to go in the oven. Optionally, you can add a single layer of parchment paper under your pizza. This will both prevent the pizza from sticking to your tray, and also to make it a lot easier to clean up. If you skip this step, there might be some grease from the pizza that gets all over your baking tray. This can be a pain to clean properly. Parchment paper or aluminum foil helps reduce the amount of cleaning you have to do after cooking your pizza.
- After you have your pizza set on a tray, ready to be placed in the oven, you are going to want to refer to the box the pizza was packaged in. On the back of the box, or the side of it, there is going to be a chart showing the cooking times for the pizza. This will most likely be 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Set your oven to your ideal mode (this will either be gas or fan assisted for a lot of people) and set the temperature as accurately as possible. Allow the oven some time to preheat so that the cooking time is a lot more accurate. Immediately placing something in the oven before it has warmed up will lead to either undercooked or overcooked food.
- When your oven has warmed up and is at the correct temperature (usually indicated by light just above the oven door), it is time to place your pizza in the oven and allow it to cook. The cooking time is going to vary on the temperature and power of your oven but will typically be within the range of 18-27 minutes. Set a timer for half of the cooking time as you will need to turn the oven around to ensure that the pizza is evenly cooked. A lot of ovens have heat coming exclusively from the back, so the front half of the pizza will be a lot less cooked.
- After your timer has gone off to indicate that your pizza is cooked, it is best to quickly check to see if this is true. Only then do you turn your oven off. Open the oven door and look at the pizza. You want it to be crispy and golden but not burnt or dry.
- If the pizza is done, safely remove it by using oven mitts and a spatula. Transfer it onto a plate and you are ready to eat it.
How Do You Know When DiGiorno Pizza Is Done?
The best way to tell if your pizza is done or not is by looking at it. The DiGiorno rising crust pizza instructions say that the internal temperature should be 165 degrees F for it to be safe to eat. If you have a food thermometer, then this is great. However, not everyone has one of these so you might be looking for a different way to check.
The most accurate way to tell that your pizza is cooked is to look at it and examine how it is. If the crust is crispy and golden brown quite consistently, then your pizza is basically cooked. If your crust is still very pale in some spots, it could need a little bit more time to cook properly as it is a slightly undercooked pizza.
The toppings and cheese on your pizza should also change in appearance when they are more properly cooked. This will not be a massive change. But any meat should be slightly crispy and the cheese will be quite melted. The pizza should also be hot to the touch all over and not just warm in some places and cold in others.
Are Frozen Pizzas Good?
Depending on who you ask, you are likely to get varying answers. A lot of people see frozen pizzas as incredibly easy and affordable meals. They provide a nice meal for someone who maybe does not have the time to cook a full recipe or a whole meal. They are also cheaper than ordering a pizza from a takeaway. So it can provide a nice treat for a family who might not be able to afford a takeaway all the time. Frozen pizzas are of surprisingly high quality and should be found in everyone’s freezer.
Not only are they great the first time, but pizzas can also be reheated the next day if you have any leftovers. Reheating a pizza is a lot easier than you would think and can be done very quickly.
FAQs on DiGiorno Pizza Temp
At what temperature do you cook a frozen pizza?
The most common temperature to cook a frozen pizza is 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature ensures that the pizza is cooked properly in a decent amount of time without anything drying up. When food is cooked at a temperature that is too hot, it gets rid of all the moisture and results in the food being dry.
Should I thaw a frozen pizza before baking it?
Frozen pizzas can, thankfully, be cooked straight from frozen. If you thaw a frozen pizza before cooking it, it will lose all of its integrity and can be a real pain to get onto a baking tray. This will also make the cooking time a lot shorter so the instructions on the box will be inaccurate, causing you to overcook your pizza.
Can you put frozen pizza directly on the oven rack?
Frozen pizza can be placed directly on the oven rack if you have one. A lot of people place their pizzas on baking trays as they are a lot easier to use, yet this is completely optional. Assuming your oven rack is accommodating of your pizza (make sure the pizza cannot slip through the bars), you can place your pizza directly onto the rack and cook it there with no other steps needed. The only thing in need of washing will be a plate instead of a tray as well.
