How To Make a Much Better, Still-Easy French Bread Pizza

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 4 Servings

French bread pizza is one of the fastest, easiest ways to get homemade pizza on the table. It’s nostalgic for adults and cheer-inducing for kids, and this (budget-friendly!) homemade version far exceeds the kind from the freezer aisle. It’s extra cheesy, a little messy, and only needs a handful of ingredients to come together: It’s comfort food at its best. We should all be eating more French bread pizza.

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) loaf soft French or Italian bread
1 clove garlic, peeled
3/4 cup pizza sauce, store-bought or homemade
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup other toppings: sautéed onions, sautéed mushrooms, pepperoni, cooked sausage, cooked bacon, diced peppers, leftover veggies, or any other favorite toppings (optional)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped or torn fresh basil leaves

Instructions

Heat the oven to 425ºF. Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F.
Slice and compress the bread. Cut the bread in half crosswise with a serrated knife, then cut each half lengthwise so you have 4 pieces. Place the bread cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet and press down firmly and evenly with your hands until it’s compressed by about half.
Toast and season the bread. Flip the bread so that it's cut-side up. Bake until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and rub the cut-sides of the bread all over with the garlic clove.
Top the bread. Spread the pizza sauce evenly onto the bread. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and pile on additional toppings, if using.
Bake for 10 minutes. Bake the pizzas until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 10 minutes.
Finish with Parmesan cheese and basil. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and basil. Cut each pizza in half and serve immediately.