Homemade French bread pizza is a quick and delicious meal that’s perfect for any occasion. With a crispy garlic butter French bread base and customizable toppings, you can create a unique and satisfying pizza in 30 minutes or less! Whether you’re looking for a casual family dinner or a quick weeknight meal, homemade French bread pizza is a fun and easy dinner.

“So so good!! Loved how fast I could get dinner on the table and it tasted amazing!!” – Lori, So Much Food reader

Pizza Made on French Bread Is Ready in 30 Minutes!

This garlicky French bread pizza is a delicious and satisfying dinner that can be made quickly and easily. I grew up with Stouffer’s French bread pizza and this recipe is SO much better! Making it yourself allows you to control the quality of ingredients and adjust the recipe to suit your tastes and dietary preferences.

This whole recipe comes together in 30 minutes! While I make my pizza sauce from scratch, you can use store bought and make this recipe even easier.

Plus, you can customize this pizza recipe to be exactly what you want! Pick your favorite toppings, sauce, cheese, and more. This is also a great build-your-own pizza recipe when you have guests.

If you want a fun and delicious way to get the whole family cooking, French bread pizza is it!

Tools Needed

• Baking Sheet
• Mixing Bowl
• Saucepan
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients (+ Substitutions)

• French bread. You’re looking for the large 16 oz French bread in your grocery store’s bakery section.
• Pizza sauce. My recipe calls for a bit of olive oil, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and crushed tomatoes. It’s simple and classic, but you can also use store-bought if you’re in a real time crunch.
• Garlic butter. A bit of salted butter, garlic, parsley, basil, and parmesan spread on the bread before the pizza toppings really takes this pizza to the next level.
• Whole milk mozzarella. Always grate your own cheese! Pre-shredded cheese is coated in cellulose to keep it from sticking together, but it really doesn’t melt well.
• Fresh mozzarella. The combination of fresh and shredded mozzarella makes these pizzas so cheesy!
• Pepperoni. I always prefer using pepperoni with natural casings so you get those glorious pepperoni cups.

Need a vegan pizza? No problem! Swap in veggies for toppings and your favorite plant-base cheese.

How to Make French Bread Pizza in the Oven

1. Make the sauce. Add the oil to a small saucepan and heat just until it starts to shimmer. Add the garlic and spices and cook until fragrant. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and a pinch of sugar (this offsets the acidity from the tomatoes) and simmer for 15 minutes to thicken.
2. Make the garlic butter. If you forgot to bring the butter to room temperature, this step will be difficult! You need it nice and soft (but not melted!) to incorporate the parsley, basil, garlic, onion powder, parmesan and pepper.
3. Toast the bread. Slather each half of the French bread loaf with the garlic butter and bake for just 5 minutes. This firms up the bread just enough so that it doesn’t become soggy once the tomato sauce goes on.
4. Assemble and bake. Top the toasted bread with as much pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperoni as your heart desires. Pop it back into the oven for 10ish minutes to melt the cheese and crisp up the pepperoni.

Jenny’s Tip: Let the pizza cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving to prevent the cheese and toppings from sliding off.

How to Reheat It So the Crust Stays Crispy

Long gone are the days of reheating pizza in the microwave until it’s rubbery! You can still have fantastic garlic French bread pizza, even days after making it. Here are all my favorite ways to reheat leftover pizza:

• The Air Fryer. This is my favorite method for reheating pizza! The circulation of hot air get the pizza crispy and melty again without drying it out. Reheat at 400ºF for 5-6 minutes.
• Toaster oven. This is how I used to cook those old school Stouffer’s pizzas. The toaster oven is great for re-heating pizza. Set to 375ºF for 7-8 minutes.
• Oven. Throw your pizza on a sheet tray and into a 400ºF oven for 10 minutes. You’ll have hot and gooey pizza in no time.
• Skillet. Preheat a skillet over medium heat and add the pizza to the skillet with 1 tablespoon of water. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes. The water evaporates and leaves the crust crispy. The only problem with this method is you can only do so much pizza at a time!

What to Serve on the Side

I typically make French bread pizza on busy weeknights, so I try to keep any side dishes as easy as the main meal. Here are some sides that work great with this crispy pizza:

• Antipasto. DIY Cheese and Charcuterie Board
• Salad. Little Gem Caesar Salad, Kale Caesar Salad, or Italian Chopped Salad
• Veggies. Roasted Carrots, Green Beans with Garlic Gremolata, Sweet and Savory Brussels Sprouts

If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!

More Homemade Pizza Recipes

• Vodka Sauce Pizza
• Grandma Style Pizza
• White Pizza (Pizza Bianca)
• Cast Iron Skillet Pizza
• 72-Hour Pizza Dough
• Same-Day Pizza Dough

This post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate links allow me to keep providing great recipes for free and I never recommend products that I don’t love and personally own.