Description
This easy oven-baked French Bread Pizza recipe features a secret buttery garlic herb spread that keeps the crust perfectly crispy and crunchy. Topped with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni or your favorite toppings, it makes a delicious homemade meal perfect for a quick dinner or snack.
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 (low moisture, whole milk, shredded from block)
- 25 pepperoni slices, or toppings of choice
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it's hot enough for a crispy crust.
- Prepare Bread: Cut the loaf of French bread in half lengthwise, then cut each half into two slices, creating about four large pieces. Place them on a large, light-colored baking sheet for even cooking.
- Make Garlic Herb Butter: In a small saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil, butter, minced garlic, dried oregano, and salt. Stir continuously and heat through for 2 to 3 minutes, reducing heat slightly if needed to avoid burning. Remove from heat once fragrant.
- Brush Bread: Using a pastry brush, evenly coat each slice of bread with the garlic herb butter mixture, making sure to cover the edges well. Then, sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the bread slices.
- Bake Base: Place the prepared bread slices into the preheated oven and bake for 6 to 7 minutes until edges start to get lightly crisp.
- Add Toppings: Remove the bread from the oven and spread 1 ½ cups of pizza sauce evenly on each slice. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and arrange pepperoni slices or your preferred toppings evenly on top.
- Final Bake: Return the pizzas to the oven and bake for 10 to 13 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the edges are golden brown and crisp. For extra browning, broil at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 minute, watching closely to prevent burning.
- Serve: Remove from oven, slice if desired, and serve warm for the best taste and texture.
Notes
- Choose a large, light, and airy French bread loaf for the best texture rather than a dense, crusty loaf.
- Use low moisture, whole milk mozzarella shredded from a block for better melting and flavor; avoid fresh mozzarella.
- Keep packaged skillet pepperoni slices in the freezer to extend shelf life; you can use them straight from the freezer while preparing.
- Recommended pizza sauces are Rao's or Ragu — Rao's for premium taste, Ragu for budget-friendly flavor.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, wrapped tightly in foil or an airtight container.
- To reheat leftovers, bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 to 8 minutes until cheese is warm and melty.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pizza slice (1/4 of pizza)
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
