Make and Freeze French Bread Pizza
We all have our favorite frozen convenience foods. Some people choose Hot Pockets. Other burrito rolls . I’ve always had a soft spot for French bread pizza. With the exception of Hot Pockets, which are most likely lab-created, you can craft and freeze most of these amenities yourself.
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The benefits of making pizza with French bread are obvious – you can use really good bread, for example. But the main advantage lies in the choice of the filling. Cheese, pepperoni and combination are no longer your only choices. Now you can add fried mushrooms, caramelized garlic, cold cuts and – yes – even pineapple. Want to eat a new French bread pizza every day like a royal? This could be your life ; all you have to do is make it happen, captain. A French bread pizza has three main ingredients – bread, sauce, and toppings – and how much you want to use each one is up to you.
I love bread
Choosing bread is not difficult at all. After all, we make pizza with French bread. But as luck would have it, you can apply this process to just about any frozen pizza configuration. Crispy baguette is my favorite, but a soft hagi roll would be a respectable choice and no one will be disappointed in you if you make a pizza bagel (or 50 pieces).
Whichever bread you choose, toast it in a roasting pan or toaster for a few minutes until it turns slightly red and crunches slightly. Then take a clove of garlic, cut in half, and rub the bread with it in the most aggressive way to add flavor. Set the bread aside to cool completely.
You’re cocky, aren’t you?
If you have a store-bought pizza sauce that you like, you can of course use it for free, but making it yourself is very easy and you can season it however you want. All I do is take Marcella Hazan’s 3-way sauce , add a little wine and reduce it until it’s juicy but not runny. To make it yourself, you will need:
- 1 can peeled plum tomatoes
- 1 onion, halved, skinless
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup red wine (optional)
Place everything in a saucepan or Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Let simmer and reduce for about an hour, stirring occasionally, scraping off the sides (this is free tomato paste) and crushing the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Remove the onion and let the sauce cool completely.
Top it off
Now comes the fun part. You probably already have a good idea of what you like about your pizza, but there are a few guidelines to help you freeze and reheat your pizza well:
- Blot wet cheeses (such as fresh mozzarella) and pickled or pickled vegetables (such as pickled jalapenos). This will prevent ugly wet puddles from forming.
- Roast vegetables to maximize their flavor. The frozen pizza will not be exposed to enough heat while reheating to create the delicious Maliarda flavor, so fry it with a little olive oil and Italian seasoning. Let them cool completely before placing them on the pizza.
- If you are using fancy meats, cut them into smaller pieces than you think. There is nothing more frustrating than taking all the meat off a pizza from the first bite.
- Avoid any fresh foods like basil or raw tomatoes. those will freeze badly. Instead, add them just before reheating or, in the case of basil, just before serving.
After assembling, prepare and refrigerate all the fillings, pour a little sauce over the toasted and cooled bread, spread it in a thin layer, then add the cheese and the rest of the fillings. Place the collected pizzas on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for two hours. Take them out, wrap them tightly in foil, then put them in a freezer bag before putting them back in the freezer. To heat, place in a 425 degree oven or toaster and cook for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bread is dark golden brown. If you want to speed up the process, you can put them in the microwave – first remove the foil – for two minutes, and then simmer in the toaster for five minutes. Acceptable (and tasty) anyway.