The French Pizza

[Sharon Harris]

Thegood news is that even with these revolutionary new tricks, french bread pizza still manages to be one of the easiest meals in the world (storebought bread is a no-brainer and homemade can be made weeks ahead of time and frozen).

I have always loved French bread pizza. Growing up, my mum, sister and I typically had it whenever my dad was away. I have fond memories of it but kind of forgot about it as an adult. Then I saw this post. All I can say is welcome back French bread pizza. The cheese baked on the crust makes this otherworldly. As much as I enjoy making dough, this wins every time in my book for practicality. Another winner from my go-to blog.

Made this french bread pizza yesterday with already-made bread. Cool idea about pressing the bread down and applying coating of parmesan. Tasty and delicious. This idea kept it soggy-proof! Will make it again. Thanks for the great recipes ! I love your website. User-friendly recipe printing and the kind of recipes we love and are easy to make !

There is a much easier way without compromising the thickness of the pizza (mushing it down). It work for French bread and English muffins. Rub olive oil on bread and toast for a few minutes. Then put on toppings and bake until cheese melts. Bread will not get soggy, I guarantee it!

My kids have no idea what French bread pizza is because I have never made it because I disliked the soggy bread factor as a kid. I will have to introduce them to something new now. Thanks for the tips Mel!

This french onion pizza is exactly what we need this December. A simple, no-fuss kind of dinner that could not be more comforting. Once you get the onions on the stovetop, they take about an hour to cook, but the process is completely hands-off (other than some stirring, of course). They get cooked with butter, thyme, bay leaves, sherry wine, and beef stock to give them the rich flavors of french onion soup. Combine those with lots of gruyere and mozzarella cheese? The perfect winter pizza.

Onions cooked low and slow with all of the warm, inviting flavor of a french onion soup. Then piled on top of shredded gruyere and mozzarella cheeses (the gruyere being classic to the soup and adding lots of sharp, nutty flavor) and baked in a hot oven until golden and gooey.

Pissaladire is the ultimate in French street food; crispy crust, caramelized onions, anchovies and salty olives. Because it is wonderful served both warm and at room temperature, it makes perfect picnic fare.

Now, I fully understand anchovies are not for everyone. Neither are olives, for that matter. But for those of us who do love both anchovies and olives, our affection runs deep, true, and maybe a little to the point of obsession.

And yes, it is widely acknowledged to be a classic French dish, but its origins are in the geographic region surrounding Liguria, Italy. When Nice was annexed into France, it brought this flatbread with it.

The original dish was very similar to what we see today; flatbread covered with meltingly soft, deeply caramelized onions, anchovy filets, and black olives. Most commonly, Nioise olives are used. See the tie-in to regional cuisine there?

Now, pissalat is much harder to get a hold of due both to the process of making it and because it is made from the fry of sardines and anchovies. Because fishing for the fry of anchovies and sardines (young fish just beginning to show scales) is highly regulated, this is a tougher, old-school condiment to lay your hands on.

Another traditional component of a Pissaladire is olives; specifically, Nioise olives. These intensely savoury, brine-cured little beauties are darlings of French cuisine and are grown in the French riviera.

You have a flatbread or crust topped with sauce. In this case, the sauce is onions that are slowly caramelized until they are so tender they almost resemble a puree. These velvety, fragrant onions are piled on the crust with reckless abandon and then topped with as many (or as few) anchovy fillets as your heart desires.

I have tried to remember the name of this pizza, I used to hang around this patisserie after highschool in Papeete, they served this pizza cold cut in squares, just loved it. Now a senior, craved this pizza, glad I found the recipe, but they served it with the red tomato sauce. Will make it his week-end! Thank you

Long long time since I made this dish. My daughter Sue had just come back home from an exchange to the Camargue. Since forgot about the dish, but my wife and I went to a Daniel Boulud restaurant in London last week and they had a selection of dishes from Provence, and guess what, they had pissaladiere as a starter, sorry appetiser. It was to die for! So I tried to make it for lunch today, but it was far too salty, both the olives and the anchovies. So I will try your recipe, but probably with smoked mackeral. Okay sacre blue.

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Traditionally, the filling is prepared and baked on top of a thick bread dough (thicker than pizza dough). The onions on top are caramelized and sauted with chopped anchovies, then simply placed on the dough to bake.

If you do any grocery shopping at Walmart, you can find a fresh loaf of french bread (sometimes even still warm) right in the bakery for only $1! Sometimes I even find it on the bakery clearance rack for .50! I stock up and put 2 or 3 of them in my freezer to use for pizzas later.

Cut the loaf of French Bread in half lengthwise, then cut each half open. Place the pieces of French Bread on a large baking sheet, cut sides facing up. Spread about 2 Tbsp pizza sauce over top of each piece of French Bread.

I like to try to use up any leftovers in my refrigerator for pizza toppings, but I also like to grab small amounts of several different items from the salad bar. This allows me to have a lot of variety with my pizza toppings, without having to buy a bunch of different items or having a ton of leftovers!

Bake the French Bread Pizza in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges of the bread are brown and crispy. Serve hot! Sometimes I like to add a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes, too. ;)

We loved these french bread pizzas and they are so much cheaper and fresher then the frozen ones. Like that the amount of sauce and toppings can be adjusted for personal taste and everyone does not have to eat the same thing on their slice. I had sausage, green pepper, and chopped tomato on mine and the hubby made his favorite sausage, mushroom, and pineapple. Kids would have fun helping chop toppings if old enough but definitely making their own. Next time we want pizza this is what we will be making. Made and reviewed for the Alphabet Tag Game.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage, breaking up into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, until sausage starts to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add kale and continue to cook until kale has softened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt & pepper and stir in garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Place french bread halves on baking sheet. Divide marinara sauce evenly between two halves. Sprinkle tops with 1/2 cup mozzarella. Add the sausage kale mixture onto the bread, followed by the remaining cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until bread is golden and cheese is melted and slightly brown. Transfer bread to a cutting board and cut into thick slices to serve.

My heart broke when I read about Pinot, it brought back such bittersweet memories of my childhood cat. Nothing compares to the love and comfort our little fur family members bring, sending you healing energy from Canada. xo

Sending all the love to you about Pinot, Tracy. Always loved your snapchats together. My 17 year old cat (who was black and magic looking just like Pinot) passed away back in October so i know how it feels to lose a much loved furry friend. This recipe and your new kitchen in general look fab! xo

Because I am an American barbarian, I did, that evening in France, abandon all pretense and pick up my tarte flambe, fold it, and eat it New York pizza style. No regrets! Later, as I walked back to the train, it started to rain, but the sun refused to stop breaking through the orange and charcoal colored sky. It was unforgettable. And while I may never experience that particular late summer in Strasbourg feeling of magic again, at least I can try, now and then, for a little taste.

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Next, make your garlic butter. You could buy premade garlic butter from the store but it is so simple to make it at home by combining melted butter and some seasonings. Brush that onto each half of the French bread with a pastry brush. Bake the bread in the oven for about 5 minutes or until it is lightly toasted. This wil help the bread to not get soggy once you add the sauce and toppings.

Meanwhile, make your pizza sauce by combining the canned tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. This is a great budget-friendly way to make pizza sauce. A can of tomato sauce is only about 44 cents at Walmart!

Welcome here! I'm Julia, a wife and mother to two lovely daughters who LOVES cooking for my family! On my cooking channels you'll find delicious and easy family friendly recipes + tips for creating a simple home cooking menu. You only need basic kitchen items to cook with me! Subscribe to my Youtube or my newsletter for new recipes weekly! Thank you for all the support ?

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