Looking to seriously up your garlic bread game? Try this recipe for a classic toasty loaf. It’s golden brown with crusty edges, extra-garlicky, and a little cheesy. What’s not to love?
By Heather Baird
This recipe has all the right ingredients for a classic garlic loaf that looks and tastes like it came from an Italian restaurant. It goes well alongside your favorite pasta dish, or you can serve it as an appetizer with a side of marinara.
Choose a large loaf of soft Italian or French bread. The soft, pillowy interiors of these loaves provide a sturdy base and a large surface area to soak up lots of garlic butter. Here we’re using a large Italian loaf that has a nice fat middle.
Cut the loaf in half lengthwise with a serrated knife. Use sawing motions to evenly divide the bread. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Alternatively, place the loaves on an ungreased baking sheet. Arrange both halves of the loaf with the cut sides upright.
Gather together the ingredients for the toppings. Use unsalted butter. It contributes delicious flavor and you can best control the salt content. You’ll also need 4 minced garlic cloves, 1/4 cup of grated parmesan (the cheese adds the salt in this recipe), and 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add in the minced garlic, or use a garlic press to extrude fine pieces of the clove into the butter. Stir the mixture well and let the garlic stand in the hot butter. Wait about 5 minutes for the most heavenly butter-garlic aroma.
After the butter mixture is fragrant and well-married with the garlic, use a pastry brush to liberally butter the cut sides of the bread. Dip the brush down into the bottom of the pan in a scooping motion so you’ll pick up little pieces of the minced garlic in the bottom of the pan to brush on the bread.
Bake the bread at 450°F for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Immediately after removing the bread from the oven, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan onto each half. The heat from the freshly baked bread will melt the cheese slightly so that it adheres to the surface.
Add vibrant color and herbaceous flavor to the finished garlic bread with a sprinkle of fresh parsley. This can be an optional step if you don’t have fresh parsley on hand. Or, use a sprinkle of dried parsley from your spice cabinet.
All that’s left to do is to enjoy! This bread will go perfectly with your favorite red sauce pasta. It’s also fantastic served as an appetizer with a side of marinara sauce for dipping.
