This French Bread Pizza is a classic pepperoni pizza baked on a loaf of French bread! The result is a soft, chewy, perfectly crispy crust topped with your favorite pizza sauce, gooey mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni slices!
Love pizza inspired recipes? Try my Pizza Sliders recipe or this Pizza Toast!
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I love anything that’s pizza-inspired. Pizza rolls, pepperoni pizza lasagna rollups, pepperoni pizza mac and cheese, pizza smashed potatoes, pizza crackers, okay you get it at this point. 😉
This French Bread Pizza is another absolutely delicious pizza inspired recipe. It’s like a classic pepperoni pizza, but instead of being baked on pizza crust, it’s baked on a soft, chewy loaf of French bread!
Make this recipe as-is or customize it to your liking! Use other meat, cheese, veggies, you name it.
Ingredients for French Bread Pizza
- French Bread: you can find a soft loaf of French bread in the bakery section at your local grocery store.
- Garlic Butter: I use my homemade garlic butter recipe to give the pizza extra flavor, but regular butter will work as well.
- Pizza Sauce: any kind will work.
- Mozzarella Cheese: use freshly grated cheese for the best texture.
- Italian Seasoning: gives the pizza an extra boost of that classic flavor.
- Pepperoni: you can use mild, spicy, regular, or mini.
How to make French bread pizza
This French bread pizza is ready in just 25 minutes!
- Prep the bread: Slice the loaf of French bread in half lengthwise, flatten slightly, then spread the cut side with garlic butter. Toast or broil until slightly crusty then remove from the oven.
- Assemble the pizza: Spread each half of the bread with sauce, then top with cheese, Italian seasoning, and toppings.
- Bake: Bake the pizza at 400ºF until the cheese is melted, then slice and serve.
FAQs
Not quite. They consist of essentially the same ingredients, but they are prepared differently which gives them different textures. However, French bread still makes a delicious base for a pizza!
Absolutely! To prep the French bread pizza ahead of time, follow the instructions through the first bake then add the toppings. Instead of baking completely, place the assembled pizza on a baking sheet and flash freeze for 1 hour. Once the pizza is firm, transfer it to a freezer safe container and store it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, bake as directed, adding time as needed until heated through.
Baked French bread pizza will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend reheating in the oven or air fryer for best results.
Leftover pizza can be reheated in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes. If it’s frozen, be sure to thaw it first.
Tips and Tricks:
- Buy the bread ahead of time. I think it’s best to buy the bread ahead of time, seal it in a plastic bag, and use it in a day or two. This helps the crust soften so it doesn’t dry out in the oven.
- Place the oven rack in the top third of the oven to prevent the bottom of the bread from burning.
- Flatten the bread. I like to flatten the loaf of bread slightly to prevent the edges from curling. I borrowed my bread flattening method from Serious Eats French Bread Pizza.
- Shred your own cheese. I highly recommend using freshly grated mozzarella. It melts better. Pre-shredded cheeses contain an anti-caking agent that can result in a slightly grainy texture.
- Toast the bread first. Make sure you toast the bread before you add the sauce and toppings. This helps prevent it from becoming soggy!
- If you can’t find French bread, Italian bread or ciabatta will work as well. Just don’t overbake or they will be very hard!
- Make less. If you’re looking to make a smaller serving, you can easily make half or even a quarter of a pizza. You can freeze the leftover bread and use it another time!
Variations
The great thing about this pizza recipe is, like any other pizza recipe, it’s super customizable! Get creative. Mix and match. Here are some other topping ideas:
- Meat: Bacon, Italian sausage, diced ham, shredded chicken.
- Veggies: Bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, onions, spinach.
- Sauce: Pesto, alfredo, BBQ sauce, balsamic glaze.
- Cheese: Cheddar, romano, parmesan, feta, goat.
Serving suggestions
If you want to bulk your meal up, serve this pizza alongside a simple side salad, roasted green beans, Easy Broccoli Salad or roasted vegetables.
More pizza recipes you’ll love
French Bread Pizza recipe
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 loaf soft French bread
- 2 tablepsoons garlic butter (or use regular butter)
- ⅔ cup pizza sauce, any kind
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (freshly grated is best!)
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup pepperoni (mild or spicy, regular or minis)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place one oven rack in the top third of the oven (this helps to prevent the bottom from burning)
- Slice French bread in half lengthwise and flatten slightly (this helps to prevent curling edges) and spread the cut side with garlic butter.
- Toast bread for 4-5 minutes (or broil 2-3 minutes) or until just slightly dried and crusty on top — it doesn't have to be browned. Remove from the oven and reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
- Spread each half with an equal amount of sauce (use a little more or less depending on how big your loaf is). You just want a thin layer so it does not become soggy.
- Top with mozzarella cheese, sprinkle with Italian seasoning, and add pepperoni (or add your favorite toppings).
- Bake for 10 (in the top third of the oven), or just until cheese is melted and beginning to brown (or to your desired doneness)
- Slice and serve.
Notes
- Buy the bread ahead of time. I think it’s best to buy the bread ahead of time, seal it in a plastic bag, and use it in a day or two. This helps the crust soften so it doesn’t dry out in the oven.
- Place the oven rack in the top third of the oven to prevent the bottom of the bread from burning.
- Flatten the bread. I like to flatten the loaf of bread slightly to prevent the edges from curling. I borrowed my bread flattening method from Serious Eats French Bread Pizza.
- Shred your own cheese. I highly recommend using freshly grated mozzarella. It melts better. Pre-shredded cheeses contain an anti-caking agent that can result in a slightly grainy texture.
- Toast the bread first. Make sure you toast the bread before you add the sauce and toppings. This helps prevent it from becoming soggy!
- If you can’t find French bread, Italian bread or ciabatta will work as well. Just don’t overbake or they will be very hard!
- Make less. If you’re looking to make a smaller serving, you can easily make half or even a quarter of a pizza. You can freeze the leftover bread and use it another time!
Nutrition Information
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Jen says
We made our own french bread and made it into four pizzas and then everyone got to make their own. I only have one criticism and that is that it’s really hard to be patient while you smell the garlic butter on the bread while it’s toasting. It smelled so good we almost didn’t make it to the pizza stage. Thank you!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Jen! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Ami says
I had to comment on this French bread pizza recipe after making it tonight. This is the first that I’ve tried from your site. Anyone thinking of skipping the garlic butter step, DON’T! It’s a game changer! I’ve made French bread pizza before and never loved how it came out. This is why. The garlic butter and the pre toast before adding the sauce method is what was missing for me. The flavor was amazing and the sauce didn’t just soak into the bread and become soggy. We added sliced Italian sausage and pepperoni but the topping ideas are endless. Even just using this method for cheesy garlic bread would be amazing! Great recipe! Give it a try.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Ami! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!