Directions. Soak the rice in a container that holds at least twice the volume of rice: Cover the rice with 2 to 3 inches of room-temperature water and soak for 6 to 24 hours. If you need to shorten the soaking time, soak the rice in warm (about 100 degree) water for 2 hours.
Prepare your oven or food dehydrator. Basil leaves dry beautifully in either an oven set to very low heat or a food dehydrator. If you're using the oven, set it to the lowest temperature - 200 Â°F (93 Â°C) or lower. If you're using a food dehydrator, ready it for operation according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 425Â°F. Place bread, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven and rub cut sides with garlic. Spread tomato sauce on cut sides of bread. Top with mozzarella, pepperoni, and red-pepper flakes, if using. Bake until cheese is melted and golden brown, about 10 minutes.