Pizza lovers, you’ve come to the right place! This pizza bread is super cheesy, chewy and easily customizable. Did I mention it’s also super easy to make? With only 5 super easy steps, it’s almost too easy to put together.
I love making these pizza bread loafs for all types of gatherings
This recipe is a play-date favorite, great midday snack, perfect as a casual dinner-party appetizer and a highly popular finger food for parties. No matter the occasion, it’s always a winner! It can be served as a pull-apart bread or sliced.
Be sure to take a look at my other pizza bread ideas and add-ins after the recipe below.
Minimal effort and maximum flavor
My ideal go-to recipes are economical and use ready-made items from the store for convenience and without compromising quality. This one fits the bill!
Pizza dough
Ready-made pizza dough is very inexpensive, usually made on-site and available whenever you need it. That means planning ahead for allowing time to proof is not necessary! Ready-made pizza dough can be found in the refrigerated section of your nearest grocer, typically near the specialty cheeses and deli items.
Fresh herbs
I love fresh herbs — especially basil on pizza. Not only is it delicious, it’s also beautifully fragrant and adds pizzazz to pizza. Cutting the leaves into thin ribbons is perfect for this recipe and definitely adds a beautiful aesthetic to our loaf.
Pizza bread loaf recipe
Makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf
Ingredients:
- 1 bag (16 ounces) ready-made pizza dough
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (2.5 ounces) mini pepperonis or chopped pepperoni pieces
- 5-6 large basil leaves cut into ribbons, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- Fresh black pepper to taste
- Favorite marinara sauce for dipping
Step 1:
Let the pizza dough come to room temperature. Don’t unwrap it, just keep it on the counter in its packaging for about 20-30 minutes.
Step 2:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
Place olive oil and minced garlic in a medium bowl. Microwave for 30-45 seconds or until fragrant. Don’t allow the garlic to burn. Add the onion powder and salt. Give it a stir and allow to cool back down to room temperature.
Step 3:
Lightly flour your work surface — this dough can be pretty sticky! Remove the dough from the packaging and place on your work surface.
Using a knife, divide the dough evenly into about eight pieces, then cut each piece further so you have many 1″ pieces of dough. Grab a few pieces at a time and toss it into the bowl with the cooled olive oil mixture, coating the pieces with the oil mixture as you add them.
Step 4:
To the bowl, add pepperoni, cheeses, basil — and don’t forget to crack pepper over the top!
Mix it all together. I like to use my hands to make sure the dough pieces aren’t sticking together.
Place in the loaf pan and top with a bit more cheese.
Step 5:
Bake in the middle rack for 25 minutes or until the top is beautifully golden.
As soon as that oven dings, turn it out onto a serving platter next to your favorite marinara sauce. Serve as-is to pull apart, or cut into slices and enjoy!
Pizza topping ideas
Like I said, I’m a sucker for pizza and delicious, easy-to-make things. Substitute other meats, cheeses and herbs to your liking. Hint: This pizza bread recipe makes for good use of leftovers! Mix and match the substitutions below in the same quantities listed above in the main recipe.
Plain, shredded chicken
Goes well with:
- Sharp cheddar cheese and Parmesan
- Chopped bacon
- Rosemary, parsley or chives
- Serve with a side of melted garlic butter
Buffalo chicken
Shredded chicken can be tossed with buffalo sauce, or use cubed buffalo chicken strips.
>Goes well with:
- 1 cup mozzarella + ¼ cup blue cheese crumble
- Chopped bacon
- Chives
- Serve with a side of ranch or blue cheese dressing
Barbecue
Have any leftover barbecued meats? Chop them up and throw them in the mix!
Adding barbecue sauce to any meat would be just as good. Toss the meat into the sauce before adding it into the dough mixture.
Goes good with:
- Monterey jack, mozzarella, gouda cheese
- Minced red onion
- Chives
- Cilantro
- Serve with a side of ranch or blue cheese dressing
Vegetables
Veggie lovers get some love, too! Here’s my list of favorite cheeses and vegetables to add to this pizza bread.
- Mozzarella, parmesan and feta cheese
- Black olives
- Roasted red peppers
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Wilted spinach
- Caramelized onion
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Basil or parsley
- Chives
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