Homemade Pizza on French Bread
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This homemade pizza on French bread has a crisp bread base topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni. You can add a few extras without making pizza dough from scratch.
I like seafood pizza, especially shrimp, tuna or smoked salmon. The French bread base gives you room to try different toppings, whether you want a simple pepperoni pizza or something a little different.
French Bread Pizza at a Glance
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: About 12 minutes
Total: About 22 minutes
Servings: 2 generous mains or 4 smaller portions
Main ingredients: French bread, pizza sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni
Toppings: Use cooked meat or seafood
Why You’ll Love It
- No dough to make: A ready-made loaf is the base.
- Quick assembly: Spread, top and bake.
- Flexible toppings: Choose a few extras to match your preferences.
- Crisp bread edges: The crust contrasts with the melted cheese.
French Bread Pizza Ingredients
The complete ingredients list and quantities are in the recipe card below.
- French bread: Use a loaf around 24 inches long, halved lengthwise. Loaf width affects how much sauce it can hold.
- Pizza sauce: Choose a thick sauce and spread a thin layer. You may not need the full listed amount.
- Mozzarella: Shredded cheese spreads evenly over the loaf.
- Pepperoni: Spread the slices across both halves.
- Optional toppings: Use cooked shrimp, drained tuna, salami, pineapple or thinly cut vegetables. Choose a few rather than piling on every option.
- Italian seasoning or oregano: Start with the listed amount and adjust to taste.
How to Make French Bread Pizza
The full instructions with weights and measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Prepare: Halve the loaf lengthwise and set cut-side up on a baking sheet.
- Spread: Add a thin layer of sauce.
- Top: Add your chosen extras, mozzarella, pepperoni and seasoning.
- Bake: Cook until the cheese is melted and toppings are hot, then cut into portions.
Equipment
- Chef’s knife: Use a sharp or serrated bread knife to split the loaf.
- Cutting board: Prepare toppings and portion the finished pizza.
- Measuring cups and spoons: Measure cheese, sauce and seasonings.
You’ll also need a baking sheet and a spoon for spreading the sauce.
Tips for the Best French Bread Pizza
- Use a thin sauce layer: Too much liquid can soak into the bread.
- Drain wet toppings: Pineapple and tuna should be well drained.
- Use cooked seafood and meat: The short bake is for melting cheese and heating toppings, not reliably cooking raw meat.
- Keep toppings modest: A heavy pile takes longer to heat and can make the base soggy.
- Watch the edges: Bread thickness and oven performance affect the baking time.
Substitutions and Variations
- Seafood: Cooked shrimp or drained canned tuna can replace pepperoni.
- Vegetarian: Leave off meat and seafood and choose vegetables.
- Different bread: A wider French loaf gives more topping space than a narrow baguette; adjust sauce to fit.
- Gluten-free: Use a suitable gluten-free loaf and check sauce and toppings.
- Dairy-free: Replace mozzarella with a suitable dairy-free alternative and check the bread and toppings.
Serving Suggestions
Cut into smaller pieces for an appetizer or serve larger portions with salad. For a different quick base, try tortilla pizza.
How to Store French Bread Pizza
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate promptly, covered; eat within 3 to 4 days. Count from when the oldest cooked topping was prepared.
- Freeze: Freeze portions for up to 2 months for best quality.
- Reheat: Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven to 165°F (74°C). The oven helps crisp the bread more than a microwave.
French Bread Pizza FAQs
No. The listed amount is generous and loaves vary in width. Spread a thin layer rather than soaking the bread.
Use cooked shrimp for this short-bake method. Raw seafood would need its own reliable doneness check and may cook at a different rate from the bread.
Yes. Top each half differently while keeping the toppings light enough to heat through.
Too much sauce or wet toppings can soak the bread. Use thick sauce, drain toppings and avoid overloading.
Homemade Pizza on French Bread
Ingredients
- 1 French bread loaf (about 24 inches (60cm) long, halved lengthwise)
- 2 cups pizza sauce or thick tomato sauce (about 475ml; use only as much as the bread can hold)
- 2 cups mozzarella (230g, shredded)
- 15 slices pepperoni
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano
- ¼ cup bell pepper (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons onion (finely chopped)
- ¼ cup cooked shrimp (chopped)
- ¼ cup pineapple (well drained and chopped)
- ¼ cup mushrooms (thinly sliced)
- ¼ cup canned tuna (drained)
- ¼ cup salami (chopped)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Set the lengthwise bread halves cut-side up on a baking sheet.
- Spread with pizza sauce, using enough for a thin layer rather than soaking the bread. You may not need the full amount, depending on the loaf’s width.
- Add one or two optional toppings if you want. Use cooked meat or seafood, drain wet ingredients and avoid piling everything onto the bread.
- Scatter over the mozzarella, pepperoni and Italian seasoning or oregano.
- Bake for about 12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the toppings are hot. Larger or heavily topped loaves may need longer. Cut into portions and serve.
Notes
More Recipes to Try
- Lahmacun is a different topped flatbread to try.
French bread makes pizza easy to put together without making dough. Keep the sauce and toppings light enough for the bread, then serve while the cheese is melted and the edges are crisp.
