One of the great things about going out for pizza is cold pizza for breakfast the next morning. Those in the know will over-order, just so they can have leftovers to look forward to. 

Instead of turning into a soggy mess, leftover pizza still has those defined layers of cheese, sauce and dough. It keeps its integrity.

But why is it so good? 

Any good pizzaiolo would say it starts with the dough. Master pizzaiolo Alberto Cacciatore of North Sydney’s Soluna agrees. He believes pizza maintains its structure the next day due to the way the ingredients are layered and cooked. 

“The crust, when properly baked, creates a solid base that prevents moisture from seeping in, keeping the pizza crispy,” he says. “The sauce, while slightly absorbed into the dough during cooking, doesn’t compromise the consistency of the base. The cheese, once cooked, forms a protective layer that helps maintain its texture, especially when it’s a higher-fat cheese like mozzarella.

“Additionally, the fats from the cheese and the oil in the sauce don’t break down easily, allowing the distinct layers of cheese, sauce and dough to hold up.” 

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A well-made pizza dough remains chewy and satisfying the next day due to the way it’s prepared and fermented. 

“During fermentation, the dough forms a strong gluten network, which helps trap moisture and gives the dough its structure,” Cacciatore says. “This allows the dough to stay soft and chewy even after it cools.

“Additionally, when the pizza cools down and is reheated, the dough absorbs some of the moisture from the toppings, which helps it stay tender. High-hydration doughs, like those used for Neapolitan pizza, tend to perform better in this regard, as they maintain a good balance between softness and texture.”

Rosso Pomodoro has been feeding Sydneysiders pizzas for 20 years. Owner Ketty Laffi believes the appeal of cold pizza is a marriage of good ingredients and structural integrity. 

“If you put stuff in the fridge, the cold will dry out the moisture,” Laffi says.  “Having said that, a good-quality dough has been proven to perfection, and it’s made with good-quality flour. That’s why pizza lasts the distance, and is still soft and chewy from the fridge.

“The tomato sauce only penetrates the surface of pizza base up to a certain level. Once the watery part of it is cooked out in the oven, you have the tomato pulp on top. It doesn’t go through the dough and make the base soggy; it sticks all the ingredients together.

“If you turn a cold slice of pizza upside down, the toppings wouldn’t fall off. They hold in place.” 

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The ingredients are also important. 

“Tomato and mozzarella is one of the best combinations you could have; it’s good hot out of the oven and cold as well,” Laffi says. 

“Other toppings such as mushrooms, ham and olives are also good if you eat them cold. Ingredients that go on a pizza don’t really need to be cooked, so they’re good even if they’re not hot from the oven.” 

Ingredients that don’t follow through the next day include fresh greens such as basil and rocket, which tend to turn soggy and lose their brightness after a night in the fridge.

Then there’s the issue of time. Just like a stew or braise tastes better the next day, because all the ingredients have had a chance to meld and mellow, the same applies to pizza. The pungency of garlic is tempered, the acidity of the tomato softens, the sweetness of caramelised onions intensifies and the cheese holds onto more flavour as it cools, resulting in a richer bite. 

Laffi likens leftover pizza to that other Italian gastronomical delight, lasagne. 

“I always say a slice of lasagne is the best the next day; the flavours meld together,” she says. “Certain things, when eaten straight from the oven, are almost too hot to completely enjoy the flavours. Pizza is like a lasagne – when you cook it. those ingredients meld together. and when you put them in the fridge, they keep together.”

To ensure your slice of leftover pizza doesn’t come with the addition of salmonella, refrigerate it as soon as you get home. The one thing that doesn’t work the next day? A side serving of bacteria. 

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