Four-Cheese French Bread Pizza
Updated June 6, 2024

- Total Time
- 30 minutes, plus 5 minutes’ cooling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1cup whole milk
- ¼cup grated Parmesan
- ¼cup grated Pecorino Romano
- ½teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- A few grinds of black pepper
- ¼cup olive oil
- 2garlic cloves, grated
- 1loaf soft French bread, split lengthwise, insides mostly dug out
- 4ounces mozzarella, low-moisture and part-skim, or fresh (drained and patted dry, if necessary), grated or torn
- 4ounces sliced provolone (from the deli), cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
- 2tablespoons grated Parmesan
- Red-pepper flakes or dried oregano, or both, for serving
For the Sauce
For the Pizza
Preparation
- Step 1
Make the sauce: Heat oven to 450 degrees. Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until starting to turn golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, a few splashes at a time to start, until evenly incorporated. Bring to a full boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened and the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. (It will continue to thicken as it cools.). Remove from heat, and whisk in Parmesan, pecorino, salt and pepper. Let cool.
- Step 2
Prepare the pizza: Combine olive oil and garlic in a small pot over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the garlic starts to sizzle but doesn’t brown, about 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Step 3
Place the French bread cut side up on a baking sheet. Brush cut sides with garlic oil. Bake until edges are golden, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Step 4
Toss together the cheeses in a medium bowl. Spread sauce over the two bread halves all the way to the edges and top with cheese.
- Step 5
Return to the oven and bake until melted, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to broil. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and browned in spots (watch carefully!), 1 to 2 minutes more. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve topped with red-pepper flakes and oregano, if you like.
Private Notes
Comments
I also recommend using Naan bread for pizza. Super-easy and fewer carbs.
Made this tonight. Super yummy and easy. I sprinkled on some crushed red pepper and basil between cheese layers. Everyone loved it. Good base - could add all sorts of toppings to your liking or stick with just the cheesy deliciousness.
Made this for my kids tonight who loved the cheesy goodness. I'm not a great cook and usually get anxious following recipes for fear of messing something up and ruining dinner. This recipe was easy to follow, hard to mess up, and most importantly delicious. Thank you for making the night a success!
I’ve made this recipe multiple times when I want something super easy and comforting for dinner, but more importantly I do just steps 2 and 3 all the time now to make a ridiculously easy and delicious garlic bread to accompany soup or pasta. We make it at least once a week in my house and it’s 10/10 every time, super garlicky and crisp.
Provolone = Provola = Fontina ≈ Gruyère
Excellent way to make pizza! Adaptable with red sauce—but the prep turns bread into a garlicky, crunchy delight!! Wow!
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