Why French Bread Pizza Curls In The Oven And How To Prevent It

When it comes to ridiculously easy and convenient meals that will satisfy the whole family, there's none better than French bread pizza. It can be assembled in minutes with an endless array of topping combinations. With a little extra effort, the dish can be transformed into a restaurant-quality French Bread White Pizza, complete with a homemade sauce and deliciously savory toppings. While the process is often straightforward, one major issue that French bread pizza makers face is that, after cutting the loaf in half and toasting it before adding sauce and toppings, the final baking process can cause the ends of the French bread to curl inward. 

While this mostly cosmetic flaw won't render the final dish inedible, it may still leave a bad taste in your mouth, causing the toppings to shift and the pizza to cook unevenly. The good news is, to keep your French bread pizza from curling in the oven, you simply have to press the loaves flat before they hit the oven. French bread pizza is prone to curling in the oven because of the shape of the bread loaf. While a traditional pizza crust is generally flat, a French bread loaf has a bit more going on, with varying levels of thickness between the center and its edges. 

Once topped and placed in the oven, it's less that the ends curl and more so that the soft center sinks under the weight of the sauce and cheese. To keep this natural process from robbing you of the picturesque, even bake that you sought after, it's crucial to never give the loaf a chance to curl in the first place.

To ensure that your French bread pizza comes out uncurled and even, you'll need the help of something flat in your kitchen that you can press down on the bread's edges. After slicing your loaf in half lengthwise to make two long pizzas, it's time to press down on each side of the halved loaf until each piece lies mostly flat. You can use your hands to press down, but you can also opt for a baking sheet, burger press, or a rolling pin to evenly smooth the bread as well. No matter which method you choose, just be sure not to completely flatten the loaf. You're looking for uncurled crust, not thin crust.

After the bread is even, you can top your pizza as desired and let the oven take care of the rest. If your French bread is very fresh, consider drizzling your crust with olive oil and toasting it for a few minutes before adding toppings and proceeding with your standard baking time. This will prevent the sauce from immediately soaking into the bread and making it soggy. Now that you've got the crust ready, check out our tips for making extra flavorful pizza sauce and be sure to avoid this mozzarella cheese mistake to ensure your French bread pizzas come out perfect from top to bottom.