French bread pizza
A whole loaf split, brushed with garlic butter and piled with sauce, bubbling mozzarella, mushrooms and peppers, the crispy-edged pizza night that needs no dough.
- 30 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $1.96 a serving
- 540 calories
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 French bread
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 4 oz white mushrooms, thinly sliced
- ½ green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan
From your pantry
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
Each serving has about 540 calories, 27 g protein, 62 g carbs and 21 g fat, and costs about $1.96 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No French bread? Sourdough bread works.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No green bell peppers? Red bell peppers or yellow bell peppers work.
- No shredded mozzarella? Provolone slices work.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 425°F. Cut the bread in half , then crosswise, to make 4 pieces.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Lengthwise. Lengthwise means cutting along the long side, from stem to tip, which gives long pieces. Crosswise is the other way, straight across the middle, which gives short, round ones.
How you’ll know: Lengthwise halves of a zucchini look like two little canoes; crosswise pieces look like coins.
Stir the butter and garlic powder together and brush it over the cut sides. Lay the bread cut side up on a .
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
5 minutes, until the edges are just .
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Timer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: This quick toast keeps the sauce from soaking into the bread.Meanwhile, the mushrooms and bell pepper.
Thinly slice. Thinly slicing means cutting slices about an eighth of an inch thick, roughly two coins stacked. Thin slices cook in seconds and soften fast, which quick dishes need.
How you’ll know: A slice bends a little when you hold it by one edge, and slow, steady cuts beat fast ones.
Spread the pizza sauce over the bread, then top with the mozzarella, vegetables, parmesan and Italian seasoning.
10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is , bubbling and browned in spots.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Timer: 11 min
Let it cool 2 minutes, sprinkle with pepper flakes and cut each piece in half.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
More dinners like this
Easy homemade cheese pizza
30 min
Instant Pot baked ziti
30 min
Sheet pan black bean nachos
25 min
Vegan mac and cheese
25 min
30-minute dinners ›One-pan dinners ›What to make with parmesan and shredded mozzarella ›What to make with bell peppers and parmesan ›What to make with bell peppers and shredded mozzarella ›