Pizza Bread Recipe

Okay, so you've got a houseful of hungry kids (and maybe a hungry partner, too) and you've only got about 20 minutes until that hunger turns into the dreaded hanger? Well listen, if you can hold them off for 22 minutes, then you're going to be okay thanks to this recipe for pizza breads care of chef and recipe developer Michelle McGlinn. But let's be honest, you'll happily prepare this meal even when you have all the time in the world, because pizza bread is just so darn delicious.

And it's so much more delicious when it's made from scratch, as McGlinn found. "This recipe is actually a grocery-store inspiration," she says. "I was walking around the freezer section and noticed there were frozen pizzas on French breads [and] I thought about how simple of an idea it was, and how reminiscent of childhood versions on English muffins." So she decided to do what any intrepid chef type does: "I decided to make my own fresh version."

One bite, and you'll be so glad she did. Or two bites. Or 10 or 15.

One of the best things about this (or really any) pizza recipe is that it's a flexible framework, not anything etched in stone. If you want to make great French bread pizza, you'll want to follow McGlinn's exact recipe and use a baguette, a garlic clove, olive oil, tomato sauce, salt, dried thyme, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, and some fresh oregano and marjoram.

But hey, you know what's also a great idea? Skipping the meat and adding onions and black olives. Or leaving the meat and adding those and jalapeños. Or tossing on chopped mushrooms. Or barbecue chicken. Or whatever toppings you love.

First off, preheat the oven to 350 F. Then, cut the rounded ends off of the loaf of French bread, if desired — these bread tips will be quite firm and crunchy if left on, which some people love, but some may find hard to bite into. Now, cut the loaf in half cross-wise, then slice each piece in half down the middle to create four pieces of bread. Arrange these long pieces of bread on a baking sheet with the insides facing up.

Grate (or mince) the garlic clove and add it to a bowl with the olive oil. Stir the oil to combine the garlic well. Next, brush this garlic oil onto each slice of bread until they are well-coated. Spread the tomato sauce evenly on each slice of bread.

Sprinkle the dried thyme on each slice of bread, then sprinkle each piece lightly with salt. Arrange the pepperoni evenly on each piece of bread. (And now is the time to add any other toppings you want, too.)

Next, add the mozzarella slices to the bread — "You can use shredded cheeses instead of the fresh mozzarella," McGlinn says, adding, "I'd suggest a Monterrey jack, cheddar, and mozzarella combo." When you're satisfied with the result, place the pizza bread in the preheated oven. 

Bake the pizzas for 12 minutes, or until the bread is golden and crispy and the cheese has melted.

At this point, you can go ahead and retrieve your pizza breads. Or, you can give them one final touch: a bit of flame! For a crispy top, place the pizza breads under the broiler for 2 minutes. If using the broiler, make sure you use foil instead of parchment paper on the baking sheet. This is a crucial point, not a suggestion, McGlinn says, explaining: "If you plan to broil the bread at the end, don't use parchment paper. It burns under the broiler! Use foil on your baking sheet, instead. This last broil will just make the bread a little crispier and the cheese have those crispy spots."

Baked then broiled, or simply baked, now it's time to retrieve those pizzas. Sprinkle the fresh oregano and marjoram atop the melted cheese, then slice the pizzas into smaller sections to serve them to your thrilled diners.