Easy Homemade French Bread Pizza Recipe
This homemade French bread pizza is crispy on the edges, cheesy in the center, and loaded with real pizza flavor without the delivery price tag.
Toasted French bread creates the perfect crunchy crust, while a simple homemade pizza sauce, melty mozzarella, pepperoni, and Italian sausage make this an easy weeknight dinner everyone demolishes.
It’s fantastically simple and is a very tasty family dinner. You can make a much better-tasting pizza hot out of the oven at home.
Why You’ll Love This
This homemade French bread pizza is one of those easy dinners that always hits. Crispy toasted bread, gooey melted cheese, and all your favorite pizza toppings come together fast without spending delivery prices. It’s simple, customizable, and perfect for busy weeknights, game days, or feeding a hungry crowd.
- Crispy toasted French bread keeps the crust from getting soggy
- Homemade 3-ingredient pizza sauce tastes better than jarred sauce
- Ready in about 30 minutes from start to finish
- Easy to customize with your favorite pizza toppings
- Cheaper and better tasting than frozen or delivery pizza
- Great for weeknight dinners, parties, and game day food
Ingredients Needed
This homemade French bread pizza keeps things simple with basic pizza ingredients and a quick homemade sauce.
French bread provides the crispy base, while mozzarella, Parmesan, pepperoni, and Italian sausage deliver classic pizza flavor.
The easy homemade sauce comes together with pureed tomatoes, kosher salt, and oregano for a fresh, simple flavor that tastes far better than jarred pizza sauce.
How To Make This Awesome French Bread Pizza
This homemade French bread pizza comes together quickly with just a few simple steps.
Step 1 – Prep The Sauce And Sausage
Stir together the pureed tomatoes, kosher salt, and oregano in a bowl and let the sauce sit for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, brown the Italian sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until fully cooked. Transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined bowl and set aside.
note
You could add a dash of red pepper flakes to the pizza sauce to add some heat. You could also add a sprinkle of Italian seasoning for a more herbaceous sauce. I’d taste it first before adding anything, though. Makes a simple, delicious, clean pizza sauce.
Step 2 – Toast The Bread
Cut the French bread in half, then cut each half again to create four pieces. Lightly brush all sides with olive oil, then bake at 450 degrees F for about 5 minutes, until lightly toasted.
Remove them from the oven and set aside.
Step 3 – Assemble The Pizzas
Shred the mozzarella cheese and set it aside. Spread the homemade pizza sauce evenly across the four pieces of toasted French bread, using about 1/3 cup of sauce per piece.
Top each pizza with a generous layer of mozzarella cheese, then divide the parmesan cheese evenly across all four pizzas. Add pepperoni slices to two pizzas and cooked Italian sausage to the other two. If you have any leftover cheese, toss it right on top.
Step 4 – Bake
Place the pizzas in the oven and bake for 11-15 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and starting to brown on top. If you want extra browned cheese, switch the oven to broil for about 1 minute at the end.
Let the pizzas rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Top with chopped parsley or fresh basil for a fresh pop of color and flavor.
Step 5 – Serve And Enjoy
Everybody’s gonna love it!
Next time you face one of those busy weeknights or weekends, whip up this simple recipe. This cheesy French bread pizza will change pizza night for you.
Tips
- Lightly toast the French bread before adding the toppings to help keep the crust crispy and prevent soggy pizza.
- Brush the bread with garlic butter instead of olive oil for extra flavor.
- Simply melt butter and stir in a little garlic powder.
- Freshly shredded mozzarella melts much better than pre-shredded cheese and gives you that classic gooey pizza texture.
- Cook any meats and high-moisture vegetables before adding them to the pizzas to avoid excess moisture while baking.
- If you want extra browned cheese, switch the oven to broil for about 1 minute at the end of cooking.
Variations
- Swap the pepperoni and sausage for bacon, ground beef, ham, or grilled chicken.
- Add your favorite pizza toppings like mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, black olives, jalapeños, or pineapple.
- Use Italian bread if you can’t find French bread. Avoid baguettes since they tend to be too hard and crusty.
- Try provolone, Monterey Jack, or an Italian cheese blend for a different flavor profile.
- Add crushed red pepper flakes or Italian seasoning to the sauce for extra flavor and heat.
FAQ
Lightly brush the bread with olive oil and toast it at 450 degrees F for about 5 minutes before adding the sauce and toppings. This helps create a crisp crust that holds up while baking.
Yes. Store leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat in the oven or toaster oven at 400 degrees F until hot and the cheese is bubbling again.
Yes. Let the pizzas cool completely, then store them in a freezer-safe container or wrap tightly in foil. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Soft French bread or Italian bread works best because it crisps up nicely while still staying tender inside. Avoid hard baguettes, which can become too crunchy after baking.
Other Delicious Italian Style Recipes
Easy Homemade French Bread Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
Pizza Sauce
- 15 oz Crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp Dried oregano
Pizza Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread
- 12 slices Pepperoni
- 1/4 lb Italian sausage
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese grated
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, kosher salt, and oregano to a bowl and stir.15 oz Crushed tomatoes, 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, 1/2 tsp Dried oregano
- Brown the Italian sausage over medium-high heat in a skillet. Once done, remove the sausage, put it into a paper towel-lined bowl, and set it aside.1/4 lb Italian sausage
- Cut the french bread in half, then in half again, so you end up with two tops and two bottoms of the loaf.1 loaf French bread
- Lightly brush the french bread with olive oil on all sides. Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for about 5 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove them from the oven and set them aside.2 tbsp Olive oil
- Grate the mozzarella and parmesan cheese and set it aside.1 cup Mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- Spread the homemade pizza sauce evenly across the four pieces of toasted French bread. Top with mozzarella cheese and divide the parmesan cheese evenly across the pizzas.1 cup Mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- Next, top two of the pizza crusts with pepperoni slices, and for the other two, top with Italian sausage.1/4 lb Italian sausage, 12 slices Pepperoni
- Bake for 11-15 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and lightly browned on top. For extra browned cheese, switch the oven to broil for about 1 minute at the end.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Top with some chopped parsley or fresh basil for a nice dash of color.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Toasting the bread first helps prevent soggy pizza.
- Freshly shredded mozzarella melts better than pre-shredded cheese.
- Cook meats and high-moisture vegetables before using as toppings.
- Broil for 1 minute at the end for extra browned cheese.