French Bread Oven Pizza (Print Version)

Crispy French bread layered with garlicky butter, mozzarella, sauce, and whatever toppings sound good to you.

# Ingredients:

→ Bread Base

01 - One whole French loaf (about 450g, 20–21 cm long)

→ Garlic Herb Spread

02 - 1/3 cup Parmesan, grated
03 - 0.25 tsp fine salt
04 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 1 tsp dried oregano
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Toppings

08 - 2.5 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (whole milk, low moisture)
09 - About 25 pepperoni rings or your top picks for toppings
10 - 1.5 cups pizza sauce

# Steps:

01 - Crank up your oven to 220°C or 425°F. This helps everything cook evenly.
02 - Grab your loaf, split it lengthwise down the middle, then chop each half to make four fat slabs. Put them cut-side up on a big, pale baking tray.
03 - Warm olive oil, butter, minced garlic, dried oregano, and salt together in a tiny saucepan, stirring non-stop. Once the butter's all melted and it smells garlicky (2–3 minutes), take it off the heat.
04 - Brush the garlicky mixture generously across all bread pieces, making sure the edges get some too. Sprinkle over the Parmesan so every piece gets a tasty layer.
05 - Slide your tray of bread into the oven for 6–7 minutes. Pull it when the top's looking a bit golden.
06 - Take bread out and swipe on pizza sauce. Heap with mozzarella and scatter your pepperoni or go wild with whatever toppings you like.
07 - Pop your loaded bread slices back in. Bake 10–13 minutes till cheese is gooey and edges have a crunchy, brown look. Want them even tanner? Broil at 230°C or 450°F for a minute—just don’t walk away, or they’ll burn real fast.
08 - Cut your French bread stacks into as many pieces as you want and enjoy while they’re still warm.

# Notes:

01 - Light, fluffy French bread works best here—skip really tough or super-dense loaves.
02 - Try shredding mozzarella off a block for the best melt. Go with low-moisture, whole milk for classic results.
03 - Pepperoni from the store can hide out in the freezer. Toss it on from frozen—no defrost needed.
04 - Let leftovers cool first, then wrap up tight in foil or seal away. Fridge them for no more than two days.
05 - To bring them back to life, reheat on a pan in a 175°C (350°F) oven for about 5–8 minutes ’til the cheese is melty again.

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