Top 8: Which of these supermarket pizzas will be love at first bite
When shopping for this selection we looked for pizzas that would last in the fridge Pictures: Chani Anderson
Proper Italian pizza has a thin base that can support a traditionally light topping. When we make them ourselves, it’s easy to weigh down the base with too much cheese. Pizza dough is easy to make, but bought dough works well — check at your local deli.
Try rolling the rounds out lightly to thin them a bit. Some can be a bit spongy — one Italian cookbook I read suggests putting the base into the oven for five minutes before adding the topping.
Pizzas are good cooked on the barbecue, the bottom crisping up nicely while the topping melts. Also, a slice or two can be popped in the air fryer, but reduce the given temperature for larger ovens as they can burn easily.
When shopping for our Top 8 selection, we looked for good, fresh pizzas with interesting toppings that last a few days in the fridge.
It’s hard to beat a simple Margherita of tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil and a drizzle of olive oil for Italian authenticity, but conscious of teenagers with large appetites at home, for this monthly survey, I mainly looked at meaty versions. Beef-topped pizzas didn’t make the cut.
A thin base and crust crisp up nicely. Our choice of topping had tomato sauce, Toonsbridge Fior di Latte mozzarella, and spicy nduja sausage for a meaty kick, with caramelised onions, parmesan, and basil, all in the right quantities. Made at Franciscan Well brewery, we bought it at the local food-focused Urban Pantry, Fifth Quarter, Paul St, Cork.
- Score: 10
This prosciutto cotto (cooked ham), funghi (mushrooms), and mascarpone come from a wide range of fresh and frozen options. Good quality ingredients include mozzarella, and there is just about enough tomato sauce on the base. All have typical Italian flavours, and the base crisped up nicely. We bought it in Tesco.
- Score: 9.5
Large beads of creamy Fior di Latte mozzarella and small, tasty, semi-dried cherry tomatoes are dotted with basil pesto, making for a deliciously full-flavoured pizza. It’s finished with additional mozzarella, giving it even more juicy meltiness, all on a pleasingly light tomato sauce. The thin dough base crisped up well.
- Score: 9
Lots of interesting flavours here, with a definite goat’s cheese, slightly acidic hit, and warm balsamic onions to soften and balance. A good base crisped up nicely. A sachet each of balsamic glaze and rocket leaves finish it with style.
- Score: 9
A nice, crisp base holds the right amount of mozzarella, but not very hot salami, and not quite enough tomato sauce. We liked the hot honey and mild chilli dressing in a separate pouch for drizzling. A flourish to finish.
- Score: 8
The tomatoes here are two types – roasted baby plum yellow SunBlush, and semi-dried tomato wedges. The cheese is mozzarella. All on a good base with a rich tomato sauce.
A good non-meaty, satisfying pizza.
- Score: 8
Mozzarella, parmesan, roasted ham, porcini mushrooms, and tomatoes combine to make an enjoyable, creamy topping on a light base that crisped up nicely. Each ingredient had full flavour and good texture, which tasters liked.
- Score: 8.5
This Baxter & Greene product has a good, crisp base with quite tasty bacon and nondescript, but tender, chicken. Too little tomato flavour for some tasters. Not quite a traditional style pizza, but more than half the tasters liked it.
- Score: 7
