Understanding Papa Murphy's Baking Instructions
I get asked about this a lot, usually from people who messed up their first time. Papa Murphy's is a take-and-bake pizza chain. You build your pizza at the shop, take it home raw, and bake it yourself. The instructions they give you are printed on a sticker or slip of paper that comes with your order. They look simple enough on the surface, but there are nuances that matter if you actually want a decent result. The core instruction is straightforward: preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, place the pizza on the middle rack, and bake for 12 to 18 minutes. That's it. But here is where most people go wrong. The 12 to 18 minute range isn't arbitrary. It depends entirely on your oven, your pizza size, and how many toppings you put on it. I learned this the hard way back in 2019 when I tried to bake a large Memphis BBQ chicken at home. I followed the time exactly and pulled it out at 12 minutes because the crust looked golden. The cheese was still cold in the center, and the sausage was lukewarm. Turned out the pizza was thicker than I realized and the protein-heavy toppings were holding back the heat transfer. Next time I baked it for 16 minutes and it came out right. Lesson: trust the lower number only if your pizza is on the thinner side with lighter toppings.
The crust color is a better indicator than the timer. You want it deep golden brown with some darker spots, not pale yellow. If the crust looks done but the cheese isn't bubbling yet, slide the pizza to the bottom rack for the last two minutes. I do this all the time now.
The Process Breakdown
Before you even put the pizza in the oven, there are steps people routinely skip. First, remove the pizza from the wrapper but leave it on the cardboard disc it came on. Yes, you bake it on the cardboard. No, it won't catch fire at 425. That's food-safe brown disk cardboard, and it helps the bottom crust crisp up evenly without requiring a separate pizza stone. Some people transfer the raw pizza to a baking sheet or pizza stone. That's fine if you want, but it's unnecessary and it adds a step where things can go wrong. Moving a raw, floppy-topped pizza from cardboard to a hot stone is how you lose half your toppings. Unless you have a well-seasoned stone that's been preheating for at least 30 minutes, just leave it on the disk. Another thing to consider:oven runs hot or cold. I have a friend who replaced his oven because he kept burning the bottoms. Turns out his old one ran about 50 degrees too hot. If you notice the crust browning way too fast while the center stays raw, that's your culprit. An oven thermometer costs twelve dollars and saves you a lot of wasted pizza.
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Edge Cases and Troubleshooting
There are scenarios where the standard instructions fall apart. Here is what I've seen: Overloaded pizzas need more time. I once ordered a five-meat special with extra cheese and mushrooms. The instructions said 12 to 18 minutes. It took 22. The bottom was fine but the top needed the extra time to cook through. Don't be afraid to go past 18 if the pizza looks like it needs it. Large pans and breakfast pizzas are thicker and denser. The 425-degree setting works for standard hand-tossed and specialty pizzas, but the breakfast series with sausage, egg, and cheese benefits from a slightly lower temperature around 400 for maybe 20 minutes. The eggs dry out at higher heat before the crust finishes baking. I figured this out by trial and error after ruining two breakfast pizzas in a row.
Convection ovens are another variable. If your oven has a convection setting, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and check early. Convection moves heat around faster and can burn the edges before the center is done. I switched to convection last year and immediately cut five minutes off the cook time. Freezing is something Papa Murphy's doesn't really address in their instructions. If you can't bake the pizza right away, freeze it. Put it in the freezer on the cardboard, then transfer it to a freezer bag once the crust is solid. It keeps for about two weeks. When you're ready to bake, thaw it in the refrigerator for six to eight hours, then follow the normal instructions. I've done this several times and the texture holds up reasonably well, though the crust loses a bit of its fresh-made quality.
What the Instructions Don't Tell You
One thing worth knowing: let the pizza rest for three minutes after it comes out of the oven. I used to cut into it immediately, which means the cheese slides off in sheets and the toppings migrate to one side. Three minutes lets the cheese set slightly. It sounds minor but it changes the eating experience noticeably. Also, Papa Murphy's provides a separate dipping sauce packet for most styles. Don't skip the garlic sauce on the BBQ chicken or the ranch on the Buffalo. The pizza is designed to be eaten with the dip. I don't understand why some people order it and never use it. Here is the unvarnished truth about these instructions: they are a baseline, not a law. Your oven is different from the ovens they tested in. Your pizza is different from theirs. Use the instructions as a starting point, then adjust based on what you see. After three or four attempts, you will know your oven better than the sticker knows your pizza.
There's no secret method or hack that changes the fundamental process. It's raw pizza in a hot oven. Pay attention, adjust when something isn't working, and stop second-guessing yourself once you find what works for your setup. That's all there is to it.
