Weekly R&R #004: Crispy French Bread Pizza with Mushrooms and Pepperoni

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of French bread, halved lengthwise and cut into sections
• 2–3 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp garlic salt
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ cup pizza sauce (store-bought)
• Fresh mozzarella (sliced)
• 12–16 pepperoni slices (store-bought)
• 1 cup mushrooms (sliced; sautéed)
• 1 tbsp butter (for mushrooms)
• Salt & black pepper (to taste)
• Optional: red pepper flakes, fresh basil, or Parmesan

Step 1: Prep the Garlic Oil Bread Base

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
2. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, garlic salt, and oregano.
3. Brush cut sides of the bread generously with the seasoned oil mixture.
4. Place on a baking sheet cut-side up and bake for 5–7 minutes until lightly golden and crisp.

Step 2: Sauté the Mushrooms

1. While the bread toasts, heat 1 tbsp butter and a small splash of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add mushrooms in a single layer.
3. Let them cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes to brown, then stir occasionally.
4. Cook until moisture evaporates and mushrooms start absorbing the butter.
5. Season with salt and pepper, then remove from heat.

Step 3: Assemble the Pizzas

1. Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce on each toasted bread slice.
2. Add a layer of sautéed mushrooms.
3. Top with fresh mozzarella slices, covering well.
4. Add pepperoni slices on top so they crisp up during baking.

Step 4: Final Bake

1. Return pizzas to oven and bake for 8–12 minutes, until:
   • Cheese is melted and bubbling
   • Pepperoni is crisp around the edges
   • Bread is golden and crisp
2. For extra browning, broil for 1–2 minutes at the end (watch closely!).

Optional Toppings & Serving Ideas

• Garnish with fresh basil, red pepper flakes, or a drizzle of hot honey.
• Serve hot with a side of ranch, garlic dip, or marinara.

French bread pizzas have always carried a kind of nostalgia for me. Growing up, we weren’t exactly sophisticated cooks — more likely to pull something frozen out of the box than start from scratch, but these pizzas were a summertime staple. They take me back to those lazy afternoons sitting on the patio with family or friends, no deadlines, just laughing and eating something simple that didn't require much planning (often served alongside some sliced fresh fruit).

It was also with French bread pizzas that I stumbled into my first real "culinary discovery". I would always think to myself that the bread always came out a little too hard or crunchy, but I just assumed that's the way it was meant to be. That is, until one day, I happened to bake them on a sheet pan that hadn’t fully dried after washing. I figured it didn’t matter as the residual water would evaporate from the heat of the oven, but to my surprise, the bit of moisture that lingered ended up steaming the bread, softening it to the texture I’d always wished it had. It was a happy accident, and the first time I realized that cooking could be more than just following instructions on the back of the package.

That lesson has carried through to how I cook today. Whenever I make a dish, I can't help but keep mental notes on what I’d adjust, what flavors or techniques I might add or change to deepen the flavor profile. I didn’t know it back then, but cooking those French Bread Pizzas was the first step in discovering one of my favorite parts of cooking: it’s an activity that gets to evolve with you as your tastes change.

These days, whenever I want something warm and comforting without having to plan ahead, I’ll still make it using pantry staples I almost always have on-hand. A loaf of French bread split and toasted with olive oil and herbs. Sauce — homemade if I feel like it, canned if I don’t. Pepperoni and mushroom is my favorite combo, but I often swap other toppings in and out depending on what I'm in the mood for.

It isn’t perfect — it doesn’t need to be, and that’s the beauty of it. Cooking isn’t about memorizing or executing the recipe to perfection, it’s about discovery. About finding comfort in the familiar while leaving room to explore or experiment with something new. And sometimes, the best discoveries start as accidents.