Four-Cheese French Bread Pizza

Updated June 6, 2024

Four-Cheese French Bread Pizza
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
30 minutes, plus 5 minutes’ cooling
Rating
4(206)
Comments
Read comments

Each cheese plays a special role in this French bread pizza: A combination of Parmesan and pecorino makes it especially nutty and salty; mozzarella melts evenly and a sharper deli-style provolone bridges the gap between them. Once you learn how to make the classic white sauce (technically a Mornay, which is a béchamel with cheese added), you’ll find dozens of ways to use it beyond pizza: Swap in an equal amount of grated Cheddar and toss it with pasta for an easy stovetop mac and cheese, or use Gruyère, slather the sauce over ham on toast, and broil until bubbly and browned. The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead of time; store tightly covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Featured in: The Secret to Easy Homemade Pizza

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe
  • Print Options


Advertisement


Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Sauce

    • 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

    For the Pizza

    • 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
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

664 calories; 39 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 47 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 31 grams protein; 1047 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

Ratings

4 out of 5
206 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

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!

Private comments are only visible to you.

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.