This oven-baked French Bread Pizza recipe is easy to make with your favorite toppings! It has a secret buttery garlic herb spread and stays perfectly crispy and crunchy.

Be sure to try my Stromboli, Tuna Melt, and Pizza Dip recipes next!

French Bread Pizza on a baking sheet topped with melted mozzarella and pepperoni.

(BEST!) French Bread Pizza

French Bread Pizza seems simple enough without necessarily needing a recipe, but this technique makes such a difference in the final outcome. The flavor is nice and cohesive, and there’s no soggy bread! It’s almost like a combination of garlic bread and pizza. 

The key is to heat up a little butter, olive oil, garlic, oregano, and a hint of salt in a small skillet, and brush it right onto the bread, sprinkle it with a little Parmesan cheese, and toast it in the oven. This creates a barrier between the bread and the sauce which ensures that every bite is crispy and super flavorful. 

Don’t miss my pro tips below, and be sure to grab a big ol’ loaf for your next pizza night at home!

A visual of what kind of French Bread to choose for French Bread Pizza.

How to Make It

Note: This is an overview. See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

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Heat butter, olive oil, garlic, oregano, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously. Brush over sliced French Bread and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 425° for 6-7 minutes. Remove and top with pizza sauce.

Toasted slices of French Bread with a buttery garlic spread and Parmesan next to slices with pizza sauce on them.

Add shredded mozzarella and pepperoni or toppings of choice. Bake again for 10-13 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sides are brown. Slice and serve!

French Bread Pizza before and after being oven baked.

Pro Tips

  • Bread: Choose a large, light and airy loaf that’s nice and round vs. a crusty loaf. (See visual above.)
  • Mozzarella: Use low moisture, whole milk mozzarella for this recipe. (Don’t use fresh.) Shred it from a block vs. using packaged shredded cheese so that it melts well. I use Galbani or Dragone.
  • Pepperoni: I keep packaged/sliced pepperoni in my freezer so that it stays good for a long time and I always have it on hand! You can take the slices out of the freezer when you start preparing your pizza. 
  • Sauce: You can’t go wrong with Rao’s Pizza Sauce, however Ragu is much cheaper and honestly, I love it. 
  • Be sure to try my Cast Iron Skillet Pizza, Buffalo Chicken Pizza, Hawaiian Pizza, Greek Pizza, and my Pizza Dip next!

Storage

  • Let leftovers cool completely and wrap in foil or an airtight freezer bag. Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
  • To reheat, bake on a baking sheet at 350° for 5-8 minutes, until the cheese is warm and melty again.

Slices of Pepperoni French Bread Pizza on a white platter with sauce on the side.

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French Bread Pizza Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes
5 from 4 ratings
Servings: 4 Pizzas
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This oven-baked French Bread Pizza recipe is easy to make with your favorite toppings! It has a secret buttery garlic herb spread and stays perfectly crispy and crunchy.

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 1 loaf French Bread, about 1lb, 20-21 inches long
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 ½ cups pizza sauce
  • 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, see notes
  • 25 pepperoni slices, or toppings of choice

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425° F.
  • Cut the loaf of bread in half lengthwise, then cut each slice in half. Place on top of a large, light-colored baking sheet.
  • Add the olive oil to a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter, garlic, oregano, and salt and heat through for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously. Decrease heat slightly if needed. Remove from heat.
  • Use a pastry brush to brush the top of each slice with the olive oil/butter mixture (be sure to get the edges), and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.
  • Transfer to the oven and bake for 6-7 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and top with sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni or topping(s) of choice. Return to the oven and bake for 10-13 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are brown and crisp. If desired, broil at 450° F for 1 minute or so to brown the top a little more, watch it closely during this time.
  • Slice and serve warm!

Notes

Pro Tips
  • Bread: Choose a large, light and airy loaf that's nice and round vs. a crusty loaf. (See visual above.)
  • Mozzarella: Use low moisture, whole milk mozzarella for this recipe. (Don't use fresh.) Shred it from a block vs. using packaged shredded cheese so that it melts well. I use Galbani or Dragone.
  • Pepperoni: I keep packaged/sliced pepperoni in my freezer so that it stays good for a long time and I always have it on hand! You can take the slices out of the freezer when you start preparing your pizza. 
  • Sauce: You can't go wrong with Rao's Pizza Sauce, however Ragu is much cheaper and honestly, I love it. 
  • Be sure to try my Cast Iron Skillet Pizza, Buffalo Chicken Pizza, Hawaiian Pizza, Greek Pizza, and my Pizza Dip next!
Storage
  • Let leftovers cool completely and wrap in foil or an airtight freezer bag. Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
  • To reheat, bake on a baking sheet at 350° for 5-8 minutes, until the cheese is warm and melty again.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per pizza. This recipe makes 4 pizzas (each pizza is quite large, about 10-inches long).

Nutrition

Calories: 775kcal, Carbohydrates: 61g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 46g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 18g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 2033mg, Potassium: 511mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 1214IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 509mg, Iron: 6mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: Stephanie