Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Base
- 200 g stale bread, unsliced
- 30 ml olive oil, room temperature
- 1 garlic, peeled and halved
Toppings
- 120 ml pizza sauce
- 150 g low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 g dried oregano
- 5 g fresh basil, torn
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 315 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbohydrates
- 27 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 594 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 24 mg
- Potassium
- 254 mg
- Calcium
- 632 mg
- Iron
- 3.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 32 mg
- Phosphorus
- 275 mg
- Zinc
- 1.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 89 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 17 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.6 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.28 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.28 mg
- Niacin
- 2.7 mg
- Folate
- 79 mcg
- Water
- 65 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200C/400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a bread knife, slice the stale bread horizontally down the middle or into thick individual slices. Rub the cut sides generously with the halved garlic clove, then brush evenly with the olive oil.
Place the oiled bread slices cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes to lightly toast the surface.
Remove the bread from the oven. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the toasted side of each piece, leaving a small border around the edges.
Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese and dried oregano evenly over the sauce.
Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted and bubbly.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 2 minutes. Garnish with torn fresh basil, slice into pieces, and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Using low-moisture mozzarella rather than fresh mozzarella prevents excess water from pooling and ruining the crisp bread base during baking.
- If your bread is rock hard, lightly mist the crust side with water before adding the olive oil to the cut side. This helps revive the interior crumb in the oven.
- This method works beautifully with almost any leftover hearty bread, including sourdough boules, French baguettes, or thick focaccia.
- For extra flavor depth, infuse your olive oil with chili flakes or let the minced garlic steep in it for 10 minutes before brushing it onto the bread.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Wrap tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil.
Reheating: Reheat in a 180C/350F oven for 5-8 minutes until crisp.
Troubleshooting
Bread base becomes unpleasantly soggy
Cause: Sauce was applied before lightly toasting the bread, or too much sauce was used
Fix: Return to the oven directly on the wire rack for 2-3 minutes to help crisp the bottom
Prevention: Always pre-toast the oiled bread for 5 minutes before applying sauce, and use a light hand with wet ingredients
Edges of the bread burn before cheese melts
Cause: Bread was sliced too thinly or oven temperature is too high
Fix: Cover the exposed edges loosely with strips of aluminum foil while the cheese finishes melting
Prevention: Use thick slices of bread and ensure oven is calibrated
Cultural Context
Using stale bread to create a new, satisfying meal is a cornerstone of Italian cucina povera, a peasant cooking tradition focused on zero waste and maximum flavor. Similar to bruschetta or the French tartine, bread pizza transforms humble, aging ingredients into a comforting, highly customizable dish.
