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French Bread Pizza
5 from 46 votes

French Bread Pizza

French Bread Pizza uses halved French bread loaves brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with garlic powder and Parmesan cheese that's lightly baked until golden-crisp. After a brief initial bake to set the cheese crust, the bread is topped with pizza sauce and your choice of toppings before a final bake. This method creates a sturdy base that crisps on the outside while staying tender inside, carrying the flavors of the sauce, cheese, and toppings effectively.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 6 Servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf French bread (about 12-inches) storebought or homemade (see note)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • garlic powder for sprinkling
  • ½ cup Parmesan Cheese more or less, grated
  • 1-2 cups pizza sauce see note
  • Pizza toppings of choice

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Slice the french bread in half the long way, forming two long halves (like a hot dog bun but don't keep them attached). Lightly press on the bread with the palms of your hands or with the bottom of a flat baking sheet until the bread is compressed to about half of what it was (generally about 1/2-inch or so thick, but like I mentioned in my post, homemade french bread doesn't flatten quite as well in my experience).
  3. Drizzle the olive oil on both halves, about 1/2 tablespoon for each half, and brush lightly into the dough. Sprinkle with just a touch of garlic powder.
  4. Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese across each loaf. Place the loaves of bread on an aluminum-foil lined baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes, until the Parmesan cheese is just barely starting to turn golden and has hardened a bit to the touch. Take care not to burn the Parmesan!
  5. Spread pizza sauce on top of the Parmesan-crusted loaves and top with pizza toppings of your choice. I usually go with about 1 cup of mozzarella cheese for each half and throw on some pepperoni and olives but the sky is definitely the limit here!
  6. Bake the pizzas for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the edges of the bread are starting to crisp up and turn golden.
  7. Using a serrated knife, cut into pieces and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese rather than pre-shredded or canned cheese for better texture and flavor.
  • Double the pizza sauce quantity if making a larger batch or if you prefer your pizza more saucy; leftover sauce is great for dipping.
  • Choose any pizza toppings you like to customize the flavor and texture of your French Bread Pizza.
  • Both store-bought and homemade French bread work, but homemade may be slightly less compressible.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Serving Calories 259kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 40g (13%) Protein 12g (24%) Fat 6g (9%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Cholesterol 7mg (2%) Sodium 683mg (28%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 4g (8%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 Serving
Calories 259kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 40g 13%
Protein 12g 24%
Fat 6g 9%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 7mg 2%
Sodium 683mg 28%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 4g 8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.