French Bread Pizza with Sausage, Pepperoni, and Giardiniera

Heat the butter and olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until the butter has melted. Add the minced fresh garlic, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, chopped oregano, and a pinch of salt. Cook this mixture, stirring occasionally, until the garlic softens but doesn't brown, which should take about 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Place the bread, cut-side up, on a clean work surface. Using a rimmed baking sheet (the recipe author notes they use the sheet tray from their toaster oven), press down evenly on the bread until it's compressed to about two-thirds of its original height.

Transfer the compressed bread to a rimmed baking sheet. With a pastry brush, evenly spread half of the garlic, butter, and oil mixture over the cut surfaces of the bread, ensuring you include plenty of garlic bits and herbs.

Add the pizza sauce to the remaining garlic, butter, and oil mixture in the saucepan, then stir everything together until well combined.

Spread a very thin, even layer of mozzarella cheese over the surface of the bread. Transfer it to the oven and bake at 400°F until the cheese is just barely melted, which typically takes 3 to 5 minutes.

Now, spread a layer of the made sauce over the bread, followed by the remaining mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce. Arrange the sliced pepperoni, pieces of raw Italian sausage, and dollops of hot giardiniera over the cheese. Finish by sprinkling with Parmesan cheese.

Return the pizza to the oven and bake at 400°F until the sausage is fully cooked and the cheese is melted and just beginning to brown, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove it from the oven and immediately sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and the chopped fresh basil. Drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil over the top before serving.