French Bread Pizza is one of the quickest and easiest ways to make delicious pizza at home. Layer your favorite pizza toppings, sauces and cheeses over sliced French bread for a no fuss, easily customizable dinner option that everyone will love.
Easy French Bread Pizza Recipe
When it comes to French bread pizza, the flavor combinations are endless. BBQ chicken, buffalo chicken and classic pepperoni pizza are a few of our regulars, but that is just the beginning. Feel free to use any of our suggestions below, or come up with your own pizza variations.
The only things you absolutely need to make this recipe are a loaf of soft French bread and your favorite cheeses, sauces and toppings you may want to add. You can get the kiddos involved building the pizzas so that everyone can make their own just how they like.
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From there, just bake until the cheese is melted and the bread is nice and toasted, then voila! With no pizza dough to make, this easy peasy meal can be ready in under 20 minutes.
French Bread Pizza Video Tutorial
Ingredients You Will Need
- French Bread – you should be able to find a loaf of French bread at your local grocery store in the bakery section. You may also be lucky enough to have a local bakery or farmers market where you can buy it, or you could even make your own using this classic soft French Bread recipe.
- Sauces – you can’t go wrong with a good red sauce. Personally, I like to use Hunt’s traditional spaghetti sauce. It has a deep tomato flavor and is thick and hearty without all of the chunks. Alfredo sauce is another great option, especially for toppings with a bit more flavor as it balances them out. Garlic Butter is also a great sauce to use if you aren’t a fan of red sauce, or just want to serve red sauce on the side for dipping. It makes it taste like cheesy garlic bread!
- Cheeses – the best cheese to use is either shredded mozzarella or some kind of pizza blend. Anything with a little asiago, mozzarella and Romano Parmesan is great. With that being said, smoked cheddar or even pepper jack cheese would make for a killer BBQ French Bread Pizza.
- Meats – pepperoni, bacon bits, sausage and salami are all great options. If you decide to use chicken, be sure and coat it in some kind of sauce so that it doesn’t dry out. Either Alfredo sauce or Buffalo sauce are both delicious with chicken.
Other Favorite Toppings
- Red and green peppers
- Black olives
- Pineapple
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Mushrooms
- Green chilis
- Jalapenos
- Spinach
- Red pepper flakes
- Fresh basil
How to Make French Bread Pizza
- Prep the French bread. Line a wide rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Slice the loaf of French bread in half lengthwise, then lay the bread cut side up on the baking sheet. (Note: you can brush olive oil over each slice if you’d like)
- Spread sauce. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over each slice of bread, making sure to get the sauce all the way to the edges.
- Add shredded cheese and toppings. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over each slice of bread, then layer any toppings you are using.
- Finish with Parmesan cheese. Top with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 13-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges are golden brown.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
French Bread Pepperoni Pizza
- Make as directed, layering approximately 15 slices of pepperoni over each slice of French bread along with the mozzarella cheese.
- Top with Parmesan cheese, then bake as directed.
Buffalo Chicken French Bread Pizza
- In a small saucepan, combine ¼ cup Frank’s Hot Sauce and ¼ cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then allow to boil for 1 minute. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Spread ½ cup total of Alfredo sauce evenly over both pieces of bread, making sure to get the sauce all the way to the edges.
- Combine 2 cups of diced cooked chicken with the homemade buffalo sauce, then spread the mixture evenly over both pieces of bread. Top with Parmesan cheese, then bake as directed.
Chicken and Bacon French Bread Pizza
- Spread 2/3 cup of Alfredo sauce evenly over both pieces of bread, making sure to get the sauce all the way to the edges. Combine the other 1/3 cup with 2 cups diced cooked chicken, mixing to coat completely.
- Evenly spread the Alfredo chicken and ½ cup of bacon bits over both pieces of bread. Top with Parmesan cheese, then bake as directed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! The best way to do it is to prep your pizzas completely and then freeze them before baking. Store in freezer bags until you are ready to cook. When you want your pizza fix, just toss the frozen pizzas into an air fryer preheated to 400 degrees and cook for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the edges are toasty.
The best way to ensure that your pizza won’t become soggy is to go light on the sauce. In fact, I’ll sometimes cook it without the sauce at all. This way it is more of a cheese bread with toppings, and then you can heat the sauce to serve as a dip on the side.
You also want to avoid assembling these ahead of time, unless you plan on freezing them. Be sure to make the recipe, then immediately pop those babies into the oven.
In this recipe, we have suggested 400 degrees in which case it will take roughly 15 minutes for the cheese to get nice and melty. You can also bake it on the broil-low setting for about 8-10 minutes. This will get the cheese golden and keep the bottom from getting too crunchy.
Your French Bread Pizza cook time will depend on a few factors, including how many you are baking at the same time as well as how much cheese you have added. In general, at 400 degrees it should take between 13-15 minutes for the cheese to melt and the bread to become golden brown around the edges.
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerator: store leftover French Bread Pizza in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: you can reheat in the microwave by heating on high for about 1 minute, or until warmed through. If you want to keep a crispy crust, warm in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes.
French Bread Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- toppings
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a wide rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Slice the loaf of French bread in half lengthwise, then lay the bread cut side up on the baking sheet.
- Spread the pizza sauce evenly over each slice of bread, making sure to get the sauce all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over each slice of bread, then layer any toppings you are using. Top with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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French Bread Pizza is a quick and easy meal everyone will love. The toppings and flavor combinations are endless and it can be ready in under 30 minutes.
