- The Modern Proper ≻
- Recipes ≻
- Vegetarian
April 15, 2023
At the end of a busy week, we want to make something simple and comforting that our families will love. This cheesy, warm french bread pizza does just that.
Categories
- Fall
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Vegetarian
- 30 Minutes
- Kid Friendly
Photography by Gayle McLeod
The Best Recipe for French Bread Pizza
Remember those English muffin pizzas we craved and loved as a kid? The crispy crust, chewy yet tender center, and cheesy, saucy top? Well, this is the elevated version! It’s quick, it’s budget-friendly, and it’s oh-so-delicious. We love the added pop of flavor from the garlic butter, which can’t be compared to the taste of regular frozen french bread pizza. Serve these as an appetizer at your next homestyle Sunday dinner or an after-school snack for the kids – they’re versatile enough for all occasions!
What is French Bread Pizza Made Of?
Classic French bread pizza recipes usually call for a hearty loaf of french bread – but feel free to swap it out for a lovely Sourdough Bread – pizza sauce, cheese, and a variety of your favorite toppings.
In our recipe for French bread pizza, you’ll need the following:
Unsalted butter
Fresh parsley
Garlic cloves and garlic powder
Sea salt
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
French or ciabatta bread
Pizza sauce or make your own like this Homemade Marinara Sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Toppings such as pepperoni, cooked ground sausage, olives, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and herbs like parsley and basil
Make it your own and switch up the pizza sauce for BBQ Sauce for BBQ chicken french bread pizzas, Vodka Sauce for vodka chicken french bread pizza, or even Homemade Basil Pesto!
How Do I Make French Bread pizza?
Follow these simple steps below to make homemade French bread pizza.
Toast: make the garlic butter! This parmesan-y, buttery, garlicky mixture gets spread lengthwise across both halves, and then the entire french bread gets popped under the broiler for a few minutes until nice and toasty.
Top: add a thin layer of sauce, followed by a generous helping of fresh mozzarella. Make it your own by customizing your toppings, such as little pepperonis and black olives! Pro Tip: this is a way to involve the little ones in pizza night! Broil for 1-2 minutes until bubbly and gooey.
Enjoy: Wait a few minutes for the cheese to cook, and then, bon appetit!
How Do You Keep French Bread Pizza From Getting Soggy?
If you want a crispy, crunchy crust with a soft, chewy interior and a saucy, cheesy pizza top, we’ve got you! Follow some of these tips to help you make the absolute best french bread pizza.
Cutting the bread: do your best to cut it in half evenly so that one side isn’t thicker than the other. We don’t want sauce to drip through! Pro Tip: once cut in half, slightly press down on the bread to flatten; this will prevent it from curling too much in the oven, which also helps prevent soggy crusts.
French bread pizza cook time is super important: since the french bread, or ciabatta bread, is already baked, keep in mind you’ll only be heating it to toast and warm it through. We do this in two steps, but the first step is crucial: crisp up the bread base to ensure that all the sauce doesn’t soak in!
Choose your amount of sauce: We love sauce just as much as the next, but to ensure the inside gives the right amount of chew, we make sure not to over sauce the bread, which can result in a soggy french bread pizza.
What to Serve with French Bread Pizza?
We know a homemade French bread pizza is delicious on its own, but we might think it’s even better with a big, green leafy salad. Some of our go-to's are a classic Caesar Salad, The Kale Salad, a Simple Italian Salad, or even simpler Butter Lettuce with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette. We always pair it with the freshness of a Watermelon and Cucumber Salad if it's summer. And may we suggest Jalapeño Poppers to start? When we’re in the mood for veggies but not so much greens, we love Roasted Zucchini with Parmesan, Perfectly Roasted Broccoli, or a Pesto Zoodle Salad. If you’re slicing up this cheesy french bread pizza and using it as a side, we recommend serving it alongside some of our favorite, easy, Italian-American mains: Eggplant Parmesan, Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, or Baked Rigatoni.
- Simple Italian Salad This simple Italian salad is the only side salad recipe you need. It fits perfectly with any pasta dish and finds good company alongside a whole roasted chicken or delicate fish dinner.
- Simple Butter Lettuce Salad Composed of tender butter lettuce leaves, briny green olives and salty slivers of aged manchego, our butter lettuce salad is a feast for the eyes and the palate.
- Roasted Zucchini with Parmesan We’re calling it—zucchini is the new cauliflower. A little crispy, super fast, and ultra-healthy, roasted zucchini with Parmesan really hits the spot.
- Pesto Zoodle Salad This stunningly beautiful, twisty-twirly pesto zoodle salad with fresh mozzarella, chicken and toasted pine nuts is a textural, colorful study in how to make the most of the late-summer harvest.
Tools You’ll Need for this French Bread Pizza Recipe
Whisk or spoon for mixing
Knife or off-set spatula for spreading
Make Pizza Night A Weekly Thing!
We love the idea of pizza when you’ve had a long week! It’s super fun to get the family involved, usually not too difficult (you can purchase pizza dough at your local grocery store), and it doesn’t take too long to bake. Here are our favorites:
Pea and Prosciutto Pizza
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Grilled Flatbread With Burrata Cheese
Fluffy, Fresh, and French (Bread Pizzas!)
Tell us how your french bread pizza turned out! Did you make it for a quick weeknight meal? A fun weekend appetizer? An after-school snack? Show us by tagging us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
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