French Bread Pizza

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/2/21
french bread pizza on a sheet tray

 The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 4 pizzas
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
381 Calories
19g Fat
38g Carbs
14g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 381
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 28mg 9%
Sodium 833mg 36%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 9mg 44%
Calcium 233mg 18%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 350mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

French bread pizza brings many of us back to our childhood, making frozen versions on our own in a toaster oven. Return to those simpler days with this delicious, easy, super crunchy version. The secret to making the best French bread pizza is toasting the bread before adding your toppings—this ensures no more soggy bread.

Anyone can tackle this pizza recipe and you can use any bread you have on hand. This technique also works great with bagels.

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, divided

  • 1/2 loaf French bread, sliced in half lengthwise

  • 1 cup pizza sauce

  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

  • 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

  • 12 slices pepperoni

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 425 F.

    french bread pizza ingredients on a marble board
      The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  2. Stir the garlic, melted butter, olive oil, and half of the chopped parsley together in a small bowl.

    olive oil, butter, and garlic in a bowl
      The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  3. Lay the pieces of bread out on a sheet tray. Top the French bread pieces with the butter mixture, completely coating the top of each piece. 

    french bread halves covered in garlic butter on a small pan
     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney 

  4. Bake the bread in the preheated oven on the center rack for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and crisp.

    toasted garlic bread on a sheet pan
      The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney 

  5. Remove the bread from the oven, and top each one with your desired amount of sauce.

    french bread covered in pizza sauce on a tray
      The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney 

  6. Top with an equal amount of mozzarella and parmesan cheese and pepperoni. Return to the oven and bake for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

    baguettes topped with sauce, cheese, and pepperoni
       The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney 

  7. Remove from the oven and top with remaining chopped parsley.

    baked french bread pizza topped with chopped parsley
       The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney 

  8. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese.

    french bread pizza on a tray
       The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney 

Recipe Variations

There are so many different variations for these yummy pizzas. Get creative with your favorite toppings like Italian sausage, mushrooms, peppers, and onions. Or you can try out these awesome combos. 

  • Barbecue chicken French bread pizza: Bake the french bread with the garlic butter and then top with a few tablespoons of barbecue sauce, Monterey jack cheese, chopped grilled chicken, and sliced red onion. Bake and top with more barbecue sauce if desired. 
  • Buffalo chicken French bread pizza: Bake the french bread with the garlic butter. Toss some rotisserie chicken with buffalo sauce. Top the bread with the seasoned chicken and top with shredded mozzarella and crumbles of blue cheese. Bake and serve with a drizzle of ranch and some sliced scallions. 
  • Caprese French bread pizza: Bake the french bread with the garlic butter. Top with fresh mozzarella and bake again. Marinate cherry tomato halves with balsamic, salt, pepper, and chopped basil. Top the pizza with the tomatoes mixture and serve.

Recipe Tips

  • Use any kind of bread you like. 
  • Don’t skip the toasting before adding sauce and cheese. Otherwise you will end up with a soggy crust that won’t be quite heated all of the way through.
  • You can shred your own mozzarella cheese if you want. Fresh mozzarella will make the pizza a little softer.