Description

This easy oven-baked French Bread Pizza recipe features a secret buttery garlic herb spread and stays perfectly crispy and crunchy. Crafted with a light and airy French bread base topped with flavorful garlic butter, pizza sauce, melty mozzarella, pepperoni, and Parmesan cheese, it’s a crowd-pleaser perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or casual gathering.

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

Pizza 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)

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425° F to ensure it’s ready for baking your French Bread Pizza to a crispy finish.
Prepare the Bread: Cut the loaf of French bread in half lengthwise, then cut each half into smaller slices. Place the slices on a large, light-colored baking sheet to promote even baking.
Make Garlic Herb Butter: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the olive oil, butter, minced garlic, dried oregano, and salt. Heat for 2-3 minutes while stirring constantly, then remove from heat to prevent burning.
Brush Bread with Garlic Butter: Using a pastry brush, generously brush the garlic herb butter mixture over each slice, including the edges, then sprinkle evenly with grated Parmesan cheese for extra flavor.
Initial Bake: Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake the bread slices for 6-7 minutes to crisp the base.
Add Toppings: Remove the bread from the oven and spread pizza sauce evenly over each piece. Top with shredded mozzarella and arrange pepperoni slices or your preferred toppings on top.
Final Bake: Return the pizzas to the oven and bake for 10-13 minutes until the cheese has melted and the edges are golden and crisp. For a more browned top, broil at 450° F for about 1 minute, watching carefully to avoid burning.
Serve: Slice the pizzas further if desired and serve warm for best taste and texture.

Notes

Bread: Select a large, light, and airy French bread loaf that is round-ish rather than overly crusty for the best texture.
Mozzarella Cheese: Use low moisture whole milk mozzarella shredded fresh from a block rather than pre-shredded or fresh mozzarella to ensure proper melting.
Pepperoni: Keep sliced pepperoni frozen to maintain freshness and simply add it straight from freezer while prepping.
Pizza Sauce: Rao’s Pizza Sauce is excellent, but more budget-friendly Ragu sauce works well and tastes great.
Storage: Cool leftovers completely, then wrap tightly in foil or store in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Reheat: Reheat in a 350° F oven for 5-8 minutes until cheese is melted and warm again.
Variations: Try different toppings like veggies, sausage, or even a white sauce for variety.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 pizza
Calories: 450 kcal
Sugar: 5 g
Sodium: 850 mg
Fat: 20 g
Saturated Fat: 9 g
Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 45 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 18 g
Cholesterol: 40 mg