Easy French Bread Pizza Recipe
All be honest, going into this with recipe testing I was thinking it would more so be a recipe the kids would love – but it turns out that equally as well adults will absolutely love this French bread pizza too! But of course that only makes sense because it’s layered with so much goodness and it’s extra cheesy! It has incredible flavor, perfect texture (crisp exterior, soft interior) and it’s so easy to customize (see below for ideas, or just think of your favorite creative pizza and make that here!). Not only is it a great after school snack, but it is definitely something I would proudly serve to guests on the weekend (just pair it with a simple salad topped with Spaghetti Factory copycat creamy pesto dressing). It’s just so tasty! Especially if you go the easy homemade pizza sauce route. Who doesn’t love a recipe that’s this simple, that can taste this good?? And I should mention it makes great leftovers too (and I’m a leftover snob). That is if you’re lucky enough to have any left for lunch the following day.
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Homemade French Bread Pizza Ingredients
French bread: Use soft crusted french bread from the store that’s wrapped in plastic wrap, not paper. Not only is it easier to cut but if you bake dry crust again it will become cardboard-like. I like to use one that is a day old so it’s a little sturdier and it doesn’t end up soggy. Pizza sauce: I highly recommend my homemade pizza sauce for this. It will only add a few more minutes prep, worth it! Mozzarella: I use aged part skim mozzarella, but fresh mozzarella slices would be amazing too. Parmesan cheese: Honestly you could even use shelf stable Parmesan here since it’s only 1/4 cup. Olive oil: standard refined or extra virgin will work great. Another option is melted butter.
How to Make French Bread Pizza
Variations
Just like traditional pizza there are endless possibilities to how you can switch these up. Here are a few ideas: Sauces:
pizza sauce pesto marinara sauce alfredo sauce (I would recommend adding an an 2 Tbsp flour for a thicker sauce) BBQ sauce ranch buffalo sauce
Toppings:
cheeses: mozzarella (fresh or aged), provolone, asiago, cheddar, romano, parmesan, havarti, goat cheese, feta cooked meats: pepperoni, chicken, sausage, bacon, ham, Canadian bacon, prosciutto, chorizo, roast beef, steak produce: tomatoes, peppers (bell, banana, etc), mushrooms, zucchini, olives, spinach, onions, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, pineapple, peaches, herbs
How to Store These actually make great leftovers! To properly store:
Let cool. Wrap in plastic wrap or foil and transfer to refrigerator. Store there up to 2 days.
How to Reheat
My favorite method for reheating is to use a countertop oven. To do so place cut slices on foil (if it’s safe according to manufacturer, otherwise use a toast oven tray) and toast for a few minutes. Alternately you can reheat at 375 degrees on a baking sheet in the oven until heated through.
Time Saving Tips
If needed use a good quality store-bought pizza sauce instead of homemade. Drizzle bread evenly with oil in a hurry, rather than brushing. Use pre-shredded cheeses. Fresh cut tastes best but we all have busy nights sometimes. In a rush just melt the cheese using the broil feature of the oven, keep a close eye on it!
More Tempting Pizza Recipes to Try
Caramelized Onion Bacon and Spinach Pizza Chicken Alfredo Pizza Grilled Pizzas Homemade Pizza Dough Margarita Pizza Spinach Artichoke Pizza (a personal favorite!)
