Buzz
We all have our preferred frozen go-to meals. Some swear by Hot Pockets, others favor burritos. Personally, I’ve always been fond of French bread pizzas. Aside from Hot Pockets—undoubtedly a creation of a lab—most of these convenience meals can be made and frozen at home.
It’s Freshman Orientation Week at Mytour! This week, we’re exploring ways to snap out of your summer stupor and dive headfirst into an autumn of productivity, whether you're gearing up for campus life, prepping your children for school, or simply looking to get more done in the classroom of life. So grab your Trapper Keepers, students. Class is now in session.
The advantages of making your own French bread pizzas are clear—first, you can use high-quality bread. But the real perk is in customizing your toppings. No more limited options like “cheese,” “pepperoni,” and “combo.” You can now top your pizza with roasted mushrooms, caramelized garlic, gourmet charcuterie, and even pineapple. Want to eat a different French bread pizza every day, like royalty? That’s totally doable; all it takes is a little effort, Cap’n. The French bread pizza consists of three core elements—bread, sauce, and toppings—and how involved you get with each is up to you.
I absolutely love bread
Choosing your bread is pretty straightforward since we’re making French bread pizzas. However, you can actually apply this method to almost any frozen pizza base. A crusty baguette is my top pick, but a soft hoagie roll would also work well, and no one would judge you if you made a pizza bagel (or a dozen).
No matter what bread you use, toast it under the broiler or in a toaster oven for a few minutes to add a bit of color and a satisfying crunch. Then, take a halved garlic clove and rub it aggressively over the bread to infuse some flavor. Let the bread cool completely before moving on.
You’re feeling saucy, aren’t you?
If you already have a store-bought pizza sauce you enjoy, feel free to use it, but making your own is easy and allows you to season it to your taste. I personally use Marcella Hazan’s three-ingredient sauce, adding a touch of wine and letting it reduce to a perfect consistency—not too runny but saucy enough. To make it from scratch, you'll need:
1 can of peeled plum tomatoes
1 onion, cut in half and peeled
5 tablespoons of salted butter
1/4 cup red wine (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan or Dutch oven, bringing it to a simmer. Allow it to cook and reduce for around an hour, stirring occasionally, scraping down the sides (that’s free tomato paste, by the way), and smashing the tomatoes with the back of your spoon. Remove the onion and let the sauce cool completely.
Finish it off
Now comes the real fun. You probably already know your pizza preferences, but there are a few tips to ensure your pizzas freeze and reheat nicely:
Make sure to blot wet cheeses (like fresh mozzarella) and any marinated or pickled veggies (like pickled jalapeños). This will keep any undesirable, soggy puddles from forming.
Roast your vegetables to unlock their fullest flavors. Frozen pizzas won’t receive enough heat when reheating to develop those delightful Malliard reactions, so roast your vegetables first with olive oil and Italian seasoning. Let them cool before adding them to your pizza.
If you're using fancy charcuterie, cut it into smaller pieces than you think you need. There's nothing worse than losing all the meat from your pizza with the first bite.
Leave off any fresh ingredients like basil or raw tomatoes; they don’t freeze well. Instead, add them just before reheating or—especially with basil—right before serving.
Once all your toppings are prepped, cooled, and ready to go, spoon some sauce onto your toasted and cooled bread, spreading it into a thin layer. Then, add your cheese and other toppings. Place the prepared pizzas on a baking sheet and freeze them for two hours. Afterward, wrap each one tightly in foil, place them in a freezer bag, and return them to the freezer. To reheat, bake at 425°F for around 15 minutes until the cheese melts and the bread becomes deep, golden brown. For a quicker option, remove the foil, microwave for two minutes, and finish in the toaster oven for five minutes. Both methods work well (and are delicious).
