Chef shares lid trick when reheating pizza to avoid getting dreaded soggy bottom

Nicola Jackson-Jones, recently crowned Pizza Chef of the Year, has been sharing her top tips and tricks for all things pizza with The Mirror – including the best way to reheat leftovers

Pizza is one of those foods that is universally beloved and can be eaten at pretty much any time of the day – from breakfast pizzas, to cheeky lunchtime slices and takeaway orders in the evening, you really can’t go wrong.

The only issue you might have with the dish is when it comes time to reheat any leftovers you didn’t quite manage during the previous meal.

Many people might be tempted to stick their pizza in the microwave for a spin, but this will likely make your base go rather soggy and isn’t going to give you the oozy, melty cheese topping you desire.

Thankfully a pizza expert has come to the rescue and shared her top tip for the best way to reheat pizza.

Nicola Jackson-Jones, the owner of Two Cents Pizza, has shared some of her foodie wisdom with The Mirror, and she urges people not to pop pizza in the microwave.

Instead, you need a pan and a lid.

Nicola, who was recently named the Pizza Chef of the Year at the British Pizza and Pasta Association Industry Awards, said: “I always love to reheat pizza on the hob.

“Get your pan and heat it up, then get your pizza in there and put a lid on the pan to keep some of that heat in and leave it until your cheese is bubbling.”

She added that this method will give the pizza a nice “crisp bottom” instead of the dreaded “soggy bottom”.

Nicola has been making pizza for the last four years after taking the plunge into cooking full-time and leaving her office job behind, despite not having worked in the hospitality industry before.

She went on to open a restaurant, which she ran for three years, before deciding to take her business mobile at the start of the cost of living crisis.

Now Two Cents Pizza operates at markets and caters for events such as weddings, making pizza for a wide variety of people.

As such, Nicola has been asked to make some weird and wonderful pizzas over the years, but she jokes that one was so odd it brought a “tear to her eye”.

The pizza in question featured olives, pineapple, cheese and a barbecue sauce base – with nothing else.

“I made it, you want to make people happy, but a little tear left my eye. I should have said no now that I think back,” she laughs.

And while this combination of toppings might not have been a winner for Nicola, there are some other unexpected pairings that do work – including pickles on a pizza.

The expert adds: “Pickles is the big one, it’s on a Netflix show at the minute. It’s a white base pizza, just cheese and pickles.

“You can also add garlic or onions and scrunched-up crisps on the top. It sounds horrendous but it works, I did it at my pop-ups and people were loving it. All the different textures and big bold flavours work.”

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