Author Topic: Frozen Home Run Inn pizza heating instructions (Read 1261 times)

redox · « **on:** March 20, 2013, 05:30:15 PM »

I could swear I read something in one of these threads about a better way to heat up frozen HRI pizza than using the box instructions. But I sure can't find it now. I found that Costco has several kinds of HRI pizzas so I got a box of sausage today. So I guess I'll find out tonight if it works well or not, unless someone posts some info to the contrary.

Pete-zza · « **Reply #1 on:** March 20, 2013, 05:43:21 PM »

Jay,

It was Garvey who suggested a different bake temperature. He mentioned it in a few places, including at the Slice website, but here are a couple posts where he discussed the matter: Reply 342 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,6112.msg242758.html#msg242758 and Reply 183 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,6112.msg190287/topicseen.html#msg190287 .

Peter

redox · « **Reply #2 on:** March 20, 2013, 05:55:42 PM »

Pete-zza,

Thanks for the answer. I'm glad I checked back. I'm going to try the 410° temp for a longer time and see how that works because I'm really wanting to get the flaky crust. If that doesn't work I'll try the other pizza per box instructions. Now I'm off to heat up the oven.

Chicago Bob · « **Reply #3 on:** March 20, 2013, 06:29:59 PM »

Jay, I hope you will please post a pic or 2 of tonight's pizza.

Bob

redox · « **Reply #4 on:** March 20, 2013, 07:13:08 PM »

Laser thermometer showed 410° at the rear wall of my oven and I baked it for 22 minutes to get it just the way I like it. Only have one pic but I want to assure everyone that I did cut it Chicago style!

redox · « **Reply #5 on:** March 20, 2013, 07:14:37 PM »

The photo also shows that I waited too long to rotate the pizza.

Chicago Bob · « **Reply #6 on:** March 20, 2013, 07:26:02 PM »

Thank you Jay,
Was the rim hard and brittle? Did you think the pizza had a lot of flavor? Did the taste of the crust dominate the eating experience of that pizza?

Bob

Pete-zza · « **Reply #7 on:** March 20, 2013, 07:41:01 PM »

Jay,

The photo of the HRI sausage pizza shows what appears to be a lot of red. Is that just the cheese colortion or is it a lot of sauce?

Peter

norma427 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 20, 2013, 08:58:50 PM »

Jay,

Did your HRI frozen pizza get the flaky areas in the bottom crust?

Norma

redox · « **Reply #9 on:** March 21, 2013, 12:59:31 AM »

Pete-zaa, Norma, Bob
The pizza did have a lot of sauce. I've never had HRI before so I've no idea what's normal. In spots I'd bite through the cheese and pools of red sauce were waiting for me. I liked the sauce though, good flavor. It was heavily sauced, if that's not normal then maybe QC slipped a bit that day.
The pizza did have a flaky quality to it. I don't know if it was aided by my baking temp and time, though. I'll probably just use the box directions to bake next time and see how it compares.
The rim was hard and brittle. I didn't eat much of it but the dog loved it. She liked it more than Milkbones, I think. Is the rim of the frozen pizza in any way similar to what the restaurants serve? I didn't much care for it.
I don't think the taste of the crust dominated the taste of the pizza but it certainly was complimentary. My wife didn't care for the sausage [insert your own joke here] too much fennel for her taste. I thought it was damn tasty.

CDNpielover · « **Reply #10 on:** March 21, 2013, 01:09:46 AM »

FWIW, I made a pizza using Garveys method, and another using the directions on the box. The only difference I noticed was that I was able to get the top browner using Garveys method. Both methods seemed to produce the same amount of flakiness for me.

Pete-zza · « **Reply #11 on:** March 21, 2013, 10:12:00 AM »

Quote from: redox on March 21, 2013, 12:59:31 AM

The pizza did have a lot of sauce. I've never had HRI before so I've no idea what's normal. In spots I'd bite through the cheese and pools of red sauce were waiting for me. I liked the sauce though, good flavor. It was heavily sauced, if that's not normal then maybe QC slipped a bit that day.

I wonder about HRI's quality control in its frozen pizza plants. From what I have read, HRI uses sensors that monitor what goes onto the pizzas as they move down the conveyor line. Apparently the amounts of toppings and cheese can vary from one pizza to another, and maybe even the amounts of sauce also. I came to this conclusion recently after I had dissected two defrosted HRI sausage pizzas and weighed the various ingredients. As noted at Reply 307 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,6112.msg242492.html#msg242492 , there was a wide variance in the amounts of cheese and sausage in the two pizzas I tested. In my case, the amount of sauce was similar, but arguably on the low side (no doubt there was some water loss during baking).

I was very careful in how I conducted my tests, and have a high degree of confidence in my numbers. From the time I took each pizza out of the freezer to the point where I was done with my measurements took me about two hours. What I found most interesting is that the combined weights of the sauce and cheese for each pizzas was about the same. Had I added the amounts of sauce, the combined weights of the three items would also have been fairly close for the two sausage pizzas I tested. This leads me to conclude that the sensors monitor the weights of the items put on the pizzas and makes adjustments so that the total weights of the pizzas is relatively constant. Apparently this process isn't perfect because there are workers who also monitor what is happening to the pizzas and can tweak them as far as toppings are concerned. This can be seen in the photo montage at http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-home-run-inn-pizza-photos-galleries-jan29,0,5881324.photogallery . Whatever is involved, the total weights of the pizzas seem to be very close. When I weighed the two frozen HRI sausage pizzas that I tested, they differered by only one gram.

Peter

Garvey · « **Reply #12 on:** March 21, 2013, 10:58:55 AM »

I've noticed a bit of variation in sauce levels, but overall, HRI is usually a pretty saucy pie, which is nice.

I've chalked up some of that to moisture loss during frozen storage, some of it to QC. No data to back up either--just a hunch.

Cheers,
Garvey

norma427 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 21, 2013, 11:18:24 AM »

Peter,

I can't get your last link in Reply 11 to see the photo montage work for me. Does the link work for other members?

Norma

Steve · « **Reply #14 on:** March 21, 2013, 11:21:48 AM »

Try this link:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-home-run-inn-pizza-photos-galleries-jan29,0,5881324.photogallery

norma427 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 21, 2013, 11:33:22 AM »

Quote from: Steve on March 21, 2013, 11:21:48 AM

Try this link:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-home-run-inn-pizza-photos-galleries-jan29,0,5881324.photogallery

Thanks Steve!

Yep, the link works for me now.

Norma

Pete-zza · « **Reply #16 on:** March 21, 2013, 11:55:58 AM »

Norma,

The Chicago Tribune link I gave was correct but, as I mentioned to you before when you couldn't open some of my links, since the new forum software has been installed I have found that I have to put a space between the link and punctuation, such as a comma or period. This used to happen with the old software from time to time but not nearly with the frequency with which it is now happening. I have corrected my post by putting a space between the link and the period. Hopefully, it will now will work but I can't be certain because even after I have checked a link in Preview, it can cease to work in the final post.

Peter

pythonic · « **Reply #17 on:** March 21, 2013, 12:10:54 PM »

Lol u guys and your home run inn pizza hacks. You all crack me up. C'mon is it really that good? I live in Chicago and have had it fresh a couple times. It's ok but my wife absolutely hates it.

Nate

norma427 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 21, 2013, 12:12:21 PM »

Quote from: Pete-zza on March 21, 2013, 11:55:58 AM

Norma,

The Chicago Tribune link I gave was correct but, as I mentioned to you before when you couldn't open some of my links, since the new forum software has been installed I have found that I have to put a space between the link and punctuation, such as a comma or period. This used to happen with the old software from time to time but not nearly with the frequency with which it is now happening. I have corrected my post by putting a space between the link and the period. Hopefully, it will now will work but I can't be certain because even after I have checked a link in Preview, it can cease to work in the final post.

Peter

Peter,

Your link works fine now. I recall what you told me before. I have stopped putting periods after links, because the same thing was happening for me with links I was posting.

Norma

norma427 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 21, 2013, 12:15:54 PM »

Quote from: pythonic on March 21, 2013, 12:10:54 PM

Lol u guys and your home run inn pizza hacks. You all crack me up. C'mon is it really that good? I live in Chicago and have had it fresh a couple times. It's ok but my wife absolutely hates it.

Nate

Nate,

Lol, I don't know what a real HRI pizza tastes like.

That is what I am trying to find out.

Since you did have had a fresh HRI pizza did you see the layers in the bottom crust? If you ever stop at HRI again could you please take a picture close-up of what the crumb looks like.

Norma