Never Deal With Soggy French Bread Pizza Again With One Easy Trick

Busy weeknights call for a chewy loaf blanketed with tangy tomato sauce, melty cheese, and crispy pepperoni. French bread pizza is the perfect quick and easy dinner, but since you're using a thick, spongy piece of bread instead of making pizza dough from scratch, the sauce is bound to sink into the crust. With one easy trick, you can keep the sauce from disappearing into the loaf, protecting the bread's soft, supportive structure from getting soggy.

Simply create a barrier by adding a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese between your sauce and bread. Then, top with your remaining cheese, pepperoni, and other toppings and cook as usual. Your sauce will stay on the surface of the pizza, where it will become concentrated and flavorful. The toppings get their familiar crispy finish while your hidden layer of cheese becomes deliciously melted and stretchy. Just like when you're making a deep dish pizza at home, a French bread pizza benefits from a cheese barrier because the proteins and fats in the cheese repel the moisture in the sauce, keeping the bottom crust soft and chewy.

For a weeknight dinner that's worth looking forward to all day, there are a few more tricks you'll need to keep in mind for French bread pizza. First, keep it simple by choosing to make your pizza with a cheap French loaf from your supermarket, as they're usually wide and soft, whereas a higher-quality baguette will typically be narrow with an airy crumb that's not as well-suited for saucing. In a pinch, you can even use end bread slices to make homemade pizza. Start with a day-old bread, if possible. If your bread is too fresh, it might be so soft that it collapses under the ingredients. A slightly drier crumb can offer more support. You can also scoop out some of the inside of your loaf for an end result that's less bready and more crispy. Save the "guts" to make homemade croutons or breadcrumbs.

Toasting the bread before adding your toppings is optional, but can make a big difference in the texture. By toasting it first, the bread will become firmer and less likely to succumb to sogginess. For a quick upgrade, brush on some garlic-infused olive oil or melted butter before toasting your bread base. During this step, you can also melt the cheese barrier, that way it will be easier to spread your sauce over it. Then, all you have to do is add your toppings and cook to perfection.