When a pizza craving hits and you want something quick and easy, without having to call out for one to be delivered, we give you French Bread Pizzas - a real family favourite and ready in 15 minutes. A crispy French baguette base, stacked with toppings and melty cheese, these are ready in almost an instant.
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French bread pizza is one of the easiest ways to make homemade pizza without making dough. A French baguette is sliced lengthways, topped with homemade pizza sauce, cheddar, cherry tomatoes, olives and mozzarella, then baked until crisp, golden and bubbling. SO easy to adapt with your favourite pizza toppings too.
It is quick, budget-friendly and perfect for lunch, dinner, after-school food or a simple weekend meal. The baguette gets crispy around the edges but stays slightly chewy in the middle, which makes it a great shortcut pizza base. Our kids LOVE these, and they are easy enough for them to make themselves too.
If you are looking for some other pizza alternative recipes, then why not try our easy Tortilla Pizza,Pizza Bagels or super simple Easy Pizza Toast?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- French stick - Cut in half and then down the middle so you have 4 pieces. This is your pizza base. Any large baguette will work, and you could use a tiger loaf one for extra flavours.
- Toppings - We kept it simple with tomatoes and olives, but carry on reading for all our topping suggestions.
- Cheese - Mature cheddar and mozzarella cheese.
- Pizza sauce - You can use a jar, or make our Homemade Pizza Sauce recipe. You could also just mix together some tomato puree (tomato paste) with some Italian seasoning.
Variations
Pizza sauce - We used our Easy Pizza Sauce. If you want even more flavour, then use a good quality BBQ sauce for the pizza sauce. You could even use Pesto as the base.
Meat - We kept these French bread pizzas vegetarian, but if you wanted to add meat then there are lots of options. You could use chopped ham, leftover shredded chicken, cooked sausage, pepperoni, bacon or chorizo.
Vegetables - There are so many ways that you can give a vegetable boost to these French bread pizzas. You could also add sweetcorn, chopped spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, artichokes or onions. You could also add pineapple, but it's not a vegetable and it also causes a lot of arguments when it comes to pizza!
Cheese - We have used a mature cheddar and Mozzarella, but other cheeses that works well include Stilton, feta, Parmesan or Swiss.
Spicy - Add jalapeños, chilli flakes or a drizzle of chilli oil after baking. You could also mix a pinch of chilli flakes into the pizza sauce.
How To Make French Bread Pizzas
Prep: Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C(fan)/425°F/Gas 7. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
- Step 1: Slice the French stick into 4 pieces. Divide the pizza sauce between each piece of French stick.
- Step 2: Add the grated cheddar on top of the pizza sauce.
- Step 3: Top with the tomatoes, olives and torn Mozzarella.
- Step 4: Put in a pre-heated oven at gas mark 7 for 10-12 minutes. Sprinkles some fresh herbs on before serving.
Low Carb Swap
To make these lower in calories and carbs, simply scoop out the bready insides so there is a deeper hole.
Not only do you have less bread and carbs, but you have more space to add vegetable toppings and make it more nutrient dense. Just make sure they are quick cooking vegetables.
What To Serve with French Bread Pizzas
Pizza and any kind of potato goes well. Why not try our Air Fryer Potato Wedges, Skin On Fries or Homemade Garlic Crisps?
You can't go wrong with some coleslaw too, so try our Greek Yogurt Coleslaw or Mexican Coleslaw.
If salads are more your thing, we have a Rocket Salad or Little Gem Salad. Also, checkout this incredible salad that I shared on Facebook that you can see pictured here.
Meal Prep and Leftovers
Meal Prep - The sauce can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also grate the cheese, slice the olives and halve the tomatoes ahead of time, then keep everything in separate containers until you are ready to assemble.
It is best to assemble the pizzas just before baking. If the sauce sits on the bread for too long, it can soak in and make the base soft.
If you want to prep them slightly ahead, toast the sliced baguette pieces for a few minutes first, let them cool, then add the sauce and toppings shortly before baking.
Leftovers - Leftover French bread pizza can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let it cool completely before storing.
Reheat - To reheat, put it back in the oven at 190°C/170°C(fan)/375°F/Gas 5, for 6-8 minutes, until hot through and crisp again. You can also reheat it in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes.
Freeze - You can also freeze French bread pizza. Assemble the pizzas but do not bake them, then freeze on a tray until solid. Wrap well and store in a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months. Bake the frozen pizza at 220°C/200°C(fan)/425°F/Gas 7, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Use a baguette that is slightly firm rather than very soft, as it will hold the toppings better and become crisp in the oven.
- Do not use too much sauce. A thin layer gives the best texture and stops the bread becoming soggy.
- If using fresh mozzarella, drain it well and pat it dry before adding it to the pizza. This helps prevent excess liquid.
- Keep the toppings fairly small so they heat through quickly and are easier to eat.
- For a crispier base, bake the sliced baguette for 3-4 minutes before adding the sauce and toppings.
- If your baguette is very rounded, press the middle down slightly before topping. This gives you a flatter surface and helps stop the toppings sliding off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can cook this in the air fryer. You can cook at 200°C/400°F for 5 minutes. Just use cheese and tomato toppings for this method though, otherwise it will be too heavy to get out of the air fryer.
Yes, you can use ciabatta, crusty rolls, tiger bread, sourdough or flatbread. A French baguette works especially well because it becomes crisp around the edges while still being sturdy enough to hold the toppings.
More Pizza Recipes
If you've tried this French Bread Pizza recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
French Bread Pizzas
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) of French stick
- 180 g (0.75 cup) of Pizza sauce
- 80 g (2.75 oz) of Light mature cheddar
- 125 g (4.5 oz) of Light Mozzarella
- 40 g (0.33 cup) of Olives - halved
- 80 g (0.5 cup) of Cherry tomatoes - halved
Instructions
- Slice the 250 g of French stick into 4 pieces. Divide 180 g of Pizza sauce between each piece of French stick.
- Add 80 g of Light mature cheddar (grated) on top of the pizza sauce.
- Top with 80 g of Cherry tomatoes, 40 g of Olives and 125 g of Light Mozzarella (torn).
- Put in a pre-heated oven at gas mark 7 for 10-12 minutes. Sprinkles some fresh herbs on before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Use a baguette that is slightly firm rather than very soft, as it will hold the toppings better and become crisp in the oven.
- Do not use too much sauce. A thin layer gives the best texture and stops the bread becoming soggy.
- If using fresh mozzarella, drain it well and pat it dry before adding it to the pizza. This helps prevent excess liquid.
- Keep the toppings fairly small so they heat through quickly and are easier to eat.
- For a crispier base, bake the sliced baguette for 3-4 minutes before adding the sauce and toppings.
- If your baguette is very rounded, press the middle down slightly before topping. This gives you a flatter surface and helps stop the toppings sliding off.
Nutritional Information
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
Rach @ This Italian Family says
Anytime we had leftover french bread when I was growing up, we would always have french bread pizzas the next day! I loved that. These look yummy.
Manali@CookWithManali says
this is such a fun recipe! love it!
Sarah Bailey says
Oh my goodness this brings back such memories, my friends Mum used to make the best french bread pizza's when I was a kid! x
Becca Adams says
Courgette on a pizza? That's a new one to me, but it looks really good. I would add some olives and mozerella.
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes says
I love pizza. It's the perfect weekend comfort food. These look brilliant and so easy to whip up too.
Ellie Dixon-Smith says
These look absolutely amazing! I'm always up for trying different and healthy types of pizza! xx
Laura ~ RYG says
Feeling quesy in a super sick 1st trimester and desperate for foods that, um....agree with my stomach! I think I could totally eat this and it's nutritious. Yum!!!!
Tina says
Please keep the kid friendly meals coming. We are on a tight budget and want to eat healthier, but still have some treats, so recipes like this our perfect for our family. I like the idea of taking some of the insides of the French stick out to save on calories. Just remember to save the insides and make breadcrumbs so they don't go to waste!
Christie says
You've created balance with the addition of all those veggies. Sounds like a fun dinner and much healthier than regular pizza.
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry says
Simple, quick and healthy, love this recipe, much better than the frozen ones!
Pauline says
I like the idea of everyone being able to have their own individual pizza without too much of a fuss. There is always arguments in our house when we have pizza.
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
Yes - pizza cravings hit me too, too many times than I'd care to admit.
LaaLaa says
I enjoy making my own pizzas - it's so much fun. I'd certainly like to try it on french bread!
Jess says
We we the frozen kind a lot when I was a kid too and being a student I make them myself, but I have never had courgette on them. Great idea!
Charlie @ The Kitchen Shed says
Add some black olives and that would probably be my all time favourite pizza! Yum! I've heard good things about Pizza Sauce. My friend made a quesadilla for lunch yesterday with it and it did smell amazing!