Italian Pizza Bread —rsquo; The Bread That Feeds Everyone Who Comes to the Table

Will's first Christmas at the historic district house, seven at the table plus a high chair, held in the kitchen, the kitchen holds everyone. The week was the life. The life was the cooking. The cooking was the love. And the love was the week, and the week was one of the weeks that stack together to become the years, and the years become the life, and the life is the woman at the stove who cooks and writes and loves and does not stop.

I made she-crab soup on Sunday — the anchor, the constant, the practice. The soup was perfect. The perfection was the practice. And the practice continues, one Sunday at a time, one bowl at a time, one life at a time, the woman stirring, the roux thickening, the kitchen warm, the family fed, the love alive.

The soup was Sunday’s anchor, but a week like that one — Will in the high chair, seven voices in the kitchen, the kind of Christmas that stacks itself into memory — asks more of you than a single pot. I needed something everyone could reach for without ceremony, something pulled from the oven and set right in the middle of the table while the roux was still thickening. This Italian pizza bread was that thing: warm, immediate, no waiting, no formality, just bread and cheese and the smell of a kitchen that holds everyone.

Italian Pizza Bread

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 loaf Italian or French bread, halved lengthwise
• 1/2 cup marinara or pizza sauce
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• Fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. Prep the bread. Place both bread halves cut-side up on the baking sheet. Brush evenly with olive oil across the entire cut surface.
3. Add the sauce. Spread marinara sauce in an even layer over each half, leaving a small border at the edges.
4. Layer the cheese and seasonings. Top each half with mozzarella, then Parmesan. Sprinkle garlic powder, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes evenly over both halves.
5. Bake. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted, bubbling, and beginning to brown at the edges and the bread is crisped at the crust.
6. Slice and serve. Let rest for 2 to 3 minutes before slicing into individual portions. Garnish with fresh basil if desired. Serve immediately while hot.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 215 | Protein: 9g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 27g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 470mg