How to Make French Bread Pizza

Pizza is one of those foods that seems to satisfy everyone. But making a traditional pizza from scratch isn't exactly the quickest meal to put together. When you're in a hurry for something tasty, French bread pizza is the perfect alternative. You can usually prepare and cook them in 30 minutes or less. Best of all, you may already have many of the ingredients in your kitchen right now.

Ingredients

  • A loaf of French or Italian bread
  • 1/2 cup pizza sauce
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Pepperoni slices, mushrooms, sausage, onions, peppers, and any other toppings as desired
  • Grated Parmesan cheese to taste
Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Preparing for the French Bread Pizza

  1. To get a nice crunchy texture for your pizza, your oven needs to be hot enough when you put it inside. Preheat your oven as your first step, so it has enough time to reach the right temperature. Set your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 218 degrees Celsius), and make sure that it’s at that temperature before you bake your pizza. [1]
    • Most ovens will beep or a indicator light will turn red when the oven has reached the designated temperature.
  2. As its name indicates, this pizza is usually made using a French baguette style bread. However, you can use any long, thin bread that you like. Take the loaf of bread, and carefully cut it in half lengthwise with a knife so you have two pizza bases. [2]
    • To make 3 to 4 servings, use a loaf of bread that’s approximately 18-inches long and 4-inches wide.
    • Crusty breads typically work best for French bread pizza, so Italian style loaves can often work.
    • If you don’t have any long, thin bread on hand, you can use any type of sandwich roll for smaller pizzas. You can even use English muffins.
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  3. One of the most important ingredients in any pizza is the cheese, and mozzarella is the traditional choice. You’ll need approximately 1 cup of grated cheese to cover both pieces of bread. If you have a block of cheese, you’ll need to grate it so it melts more easily on the pizza. [3]
    • If you’re short on time, you can purchase cheese that’s already shredded at the supermarket.
    • While mozzarella is the usual cheese for pizza, you can use any variety that you like. Cheddar, Provolone, or even Swiss can be interesting options depending on the other toppings you’re using on your pizza. You can also find blends that contain multiple types, such as Italian blend, which usually contains a mix of mozzarella, Provolone, and Parmesan.
  4. As a delicious as French bread pizza is, you can make it even better with the right toppings. All of your usual favorites, such as pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage, onions, and peppers, will work, so you should chop and cook them as needed before starting your pizza. [4]
    • Because the bread is usually narrow, you may want to chop your toppings a little smaller than usual. For example, you may want to cut pepperoni slices in half or even quarters to fit more easily on the pizzas.
    • Other delicious toppings to consider for your pizza include ham, pineapple, bacon, jalapenos, and olives.
    • Some meat toppings, such as sausage, meatballs, and bacon, must be cooked before adding them to the pizza.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Assembling the French Bread Pizza

  1. Lay both pieces of your cut bread flat on a work surface, such as a counter or cutting board. To add a little flavor to the bread even before the other ingredients, add approximately 1 tablespoons of olive oil to each piece of bread. You can simply drizzle it over the bread, or use a pastry brush to ensure that it covers the bread more evenly. [5]
    • If you want to add even more flavor to your bread, you can season it further with minced garlic or garlic powder.
    • If you love cheese, sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese over the olive oil-coated bread.
  2. Sauce is usually a crucial ingredient for a pizza. Because French bread pizza is meant to be a quick meal, it’s best to just use a jarred pizza or other tomato-based pasta sauce. For each piece of bread, you’ll need approximately ¼ to ½ cup of sauce. Spoon it over the bread and then spread it until the whole piece is covered. [6]
    • If you like to make your own tomato sauce or have leftover homemade sauce in your fridge, use that for your pizza.
    • You don’t necessarily have to use a plain tomato sauce. Try a spicy arrabiata style pasta sauce or a creamy alfredo sauce to mix things up.
    • You can also skip sauce all together, and use fresh sliced tomatoes or ricotta cheese instead.
  3. Once the sauce is in place, cover each piece of bread with half of the grated cheese. Don’t apply too much cheese or it may drip off during baking and get stuck to the inside of your oven. After the cheese, layer any toppings that you’d like on top. Spread them as evenly as possible so you’ll get a little taste of the toppings with each bite. [7]
    • If you want to season the pizza with salt and pepper, do it after you’ve added the cheese and toppings.
    • You can skip the salt and sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese over the other cheese and toppings.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Baking the French Bread Pizza

  1. Find a cookie sheet with a rim all the way around it, and line it with foil. Set the two pizzas on the pan, making sure that both pieces fit completely. The pizza shouldn’t touch one another either, or melted cheese may fuse them together when they’re cooking. [8]
    • If you’re using multiple loaves of bread to make more than two pizzas, you’ll likely need more than one pan. It’s best to bake the pizzas in batches than try to shove all of them on one cookie sheet.
  2. Place the sheet with pizza inside the oven on the lowest rack. You’ll want to let them back until the cheese starts to bubble and turns golden. In most cases, that takes 8 to 10 minutes. [9]
    • You should also check the edges of the bread before taking the pizzas out of the oven. They should be crispy and golden.
  3. When the pizzas are done, remove the cookie sheet from the oven. Allow them to cool just long enough so it’s possible to handle them. Use a knife to cut the pizza into pizza. Depending on how many people you plan to serve, you might just cut each pizza in half or in thirds. You can cut them in even smaller pieces, and serve them as an appetizer at a party. [10]
    • A serrated knife usually works best for cutting French bread pizza.
    • The pizzas are best served hot, so don’t allow them to cool too long before serving.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Should the cookie pan be preheated before cooking the pizza?
    Community Answer
    There’s no reason to preheat the pan. The heat while you melt the cheese is enough to crisp up the bread a little.
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      Tips

      • They’re easy to make, so be creative with your French bread pizza. You don’t have to go the traditional tomato sauce and mozzarella with every pizza.
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      • Because they’re so quick and easy to make, you can let everyone in your household make and customize their own so everyone is happy with their meal.
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      • If you’re having friends over for dinner, you can do a make-your-own French bread pizza night too. Just set out all the ingredients and let everyone get creative.
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      Warning

      • Be sure to use a potholder or oven mitt when removing the pizzas from the oven. It’s easy to burn yourself, especially when the oven is turned up as high as the recipe calls for.

      Things You'll Need

      • Knife
      • Cheese grater
      • Spoon
      • Cookie sheet
      • Foil

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      References

      1. ↑ http://www.melskitchencafe.com/french-bread-pizza-perfected/
      2. ↑ http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/03/the-best-french-bread-pizza-recipe.html
      3. ↑ http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2013/02/french-bread-pizzas.html
      4. ↑ http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/french-bread-pizzas/
      5. ↑ http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2013/02/french-bread-pizzas.html
      6. ↑ http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2013/02/french-bread-pizzas.html
      7. ↑ http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/french-bread-pizzas/
      8. ↑ http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/03/the-best-french-bread-pizza-recipe.html
      9. ↑ http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/french-bread-pizzas/
      1. ↑ http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/french-bread-pizzas/

      About this article

      Article Summary X

      To make French bread pizza, start by cutting a loaf of French bread in half lengthwise and drizzling olive oil over the cut side of each half. Then, spread pizza sauce over each half of the bread, and sprinkle cheese and any other toppings you'd like over the sauce. Next, place the pizzas on a baking sheet lined with foil. Finally, bake the pizzas for 8-10 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. To learn how to choose cheese and toppings for your French bread pizza, scroll down!

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