Description
This oven-baked French Bread Pizza recipe is simple, quick, and delicious, featuring a secret buttery garlic herb spread and your favorite toppings. The bread stays perfectly crispy and crunchy, making it a perfect meal or snack for any occasion.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Bread and Base
- 1 loaf French Bread, about 1 lb, 20-21 inches long
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Toppings
- 1 1/2 cups pizza sauce
- 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 25 pepperoni slices, or toppings of choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 425° F to prepare for baking the French bread pizzas.
- Prepare the bread: Cut the loaf of French bread in half lengthwise, then cut each half in half again to create smaller slices. Place the slices on a large, light-colored baking sheet.
- Make the garlic herb butter mixture: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine olive oil, butter, minced garlic, dried oregano, and salt. Stir continuously and heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Reduce heat slightly if needed. Remove from heat.
- Brush bread with mixture: Use a pastry brush to generously brush the top and edges of each bread slice with the garlic herb butter mixture. Evenly sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over each slice.
- Initial bake: Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the bread slices for 6-7 minutes to toast the base and melt the Parmesan slightly.
- Add toppings and bake: Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Spread pizza sauce evenly over each slice, then top with shredded mozzarella cheese and pepperoni or your choice of toppings.
- Bake until cheese melts: Return the pizzas to the oven and bake for 10-13 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are golden brown and crispy. Optional: broil at 450° F for 1 minute to brown the top further, watching closely to avoid burning.
- Serve: Slice and serve the French bread pizzas warm for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Choose a large, light, airy loaf of French bread that is round rather than crusty for the best texture.
- Use low-moisture, whole milk mozzarella shredded from a block rather than pre-shredded or fresh mozzarella to ensure proper melting.
- If using pepperoni, freezing the slices ahead of time helps keep them fresh and easier to handle.
- For pizza sauce, both Rao's and Ragu are excellent options, with Ragu being more budget-friendly.
- Store leftovers wrapped tightly in foil or an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- To reheat, bake leftover pizzas at 350° F for 5-8 minutes until the cheese is melted and the pizza is warm.
- Experiment with different toppings such as veggies, cooked chicken, or different meats to customize your pizza.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pizza
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
