This French Bread Pizza recipe has layers of flavor-packed toppings baked onto soft French bread. Topped with 3-cheeses, pepperoni & fresh herbs. It’s an easy-to-love dinner, game day snack, or savory appetizer.
Hungry for pizza but not the effort that comes along with it? Give these Herby 3-Cheese French Bread Pizzas a try!
Why you’ll love it
These easy homemade bread pizzas have it all:
- A quick tomato pizza sauce
- Not just one, but three kinds of cheeses!
- Pepperoni slices
- And herby Italian seasonings
All layered on slices of soft French bread, it’s one the easiest homemade pizza recipes ever. You can make them with all sorts of toppings and flavors, plus they’re perfect for family-friendly dinners, party snacks, or part of the spread on game day.
Looking for more easy, crowd-pleasing recipes? Then you have to try my Air Fryer Buffalo Wings and Baked Goat Cheese Dip!
What is French bread pizza?
French bread pizza is almost the exact same as any other homemade pizza recipe, except the dough is replaced with slices of French bread. Just because you replaced the dough doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice any of your other favorite pizza toppings! French bread pizza is just as delicious with lots of mozzarella, pepperoni, and veggies on top.
French bread vs. Italian bread
Both French and Italian bread will work in this recipe, but how do you know which is right for your tastebuds? If you prefer pizza to be soft and light, go with French bread. If you like a heartier crust and plump dough, Italian bread is right for you.
How to make homemade it
To begin, make the pizza sauce by sauteeing the garlic in some oil in a saucepan. Add the tomatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper and bring it up to a simmer. Turn off the heat and remove the thyme sprigs before serving.
Combine the basil, oregano, garlic, fennel, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to make the herb seasoning.
Cut the loaf of French bread in half, then each half into 2 (4 pieces total). The bread needs to be flattened so place a heavy cast iron skillet on top of all 4 slices and press down. Next, toast the bread.
To assemble the pepperoni pizzas, spread some homemade pizza sauce on each slice and top with the 3 kinds of cheese, pepperoni, and herb seasoning. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling, then enjoy!
Tips and tricks
- A flattened piece of bread is a must when making French bread pizza. If you don’t flatten the bread first, the middle will sink and the edges will rise up as it bakes.
- Toasting the bread is super important! Not only does it prevent the bread from going soggy after you add the sauce, but it also improves the flavor.
- If you’re really worried about the bread being soggy, use day old French bread.
Variations
Take these personal pizzas up a notch! You can play around with the toppings in more ways than one:
- Sauce: Swap the pizza sauce for marinara sauce, homemade pesto, caesar dressing, sun dried tomato pesto, BBQ sauce, alfredo sauce, or garlic cream sauce.
- Meat: Instead of or in addition to the pepperoni, use prosciutto, bacon, sausage, chicken, or salami.
- Cheese: Mozzarella cheese, fontina, and parmesan are my favorites but provolone, cheddar, and asiago are also great options. Ricotta, goat cheese, and burrata can be topped on the pizzas right before they come out of the oven.
- Vegetables: Don’t load too many veggies on these tiny personal pizzas. A few slices of Roma tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, Calabrian chiles, spinach, red onions, arugula, or artichokes is more than enough.
Wine pairings
- The high acid in an Italian Chianti cuts through the fatty, savory flavors and is complimentary to the tomatoes.
- A Cabernet Sauvignon was made to be enjoyed with layers of meat and cheese!
What to serve with it
- Ranch Dressing
- Caesar Salad
- Tomato & Cucumber Salad
- Cherry Tomato Salad
- Pesto Pasta
- MORE → 60+ Sides for Pizza, 29+ Healthy Sides for Pizza, plus Dipping Sauces for Pizza.
More easy snack recipes
Did you try these french bread pizzas?
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French Bread Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 loaf soft French or Italian bread (16-ounces )
Sauce:
- 2 cloves garlic (grated or minced)
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
Herb Topping:
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves (finely chopped, plus more for serving (or 1 Tablespoon dried))
- 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano (finely chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried))
- 2 cloves garlic (grated or minced)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
To Finish:
- 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella
- 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 ounces pepperoni (sliced)
- Kosher salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425-degrees.
- To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic, and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper and allow to simmer while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Remove the thyme sprigs before using.
- To make the herb seasoning, combine the basil, oregano, garlic, fennel, and a pinch each of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Cut the bread in half lengthwise, then cut each half in two, so you have 4 pieces total. Place the bread cut side up on a cookie sheet and then place a heavy cast iron skillet on top. Press down firmly to flatten the bread by about half.
- Toast the bread for about 5 minutes.
- Spread the pizza sauce evenly onto the bread. Top with cheeses, pepperoni and herb seasoning.
- Bake the pizzas until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil and additional crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Enjoy!
Equipment
Nutrition
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This recipe was originally published in 2021. It was updated in 2023 to add new information. The homemade french bread pizza recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
good idea, love all of these flavors and not having to roll out pizza dough, thank you!