Our top tips for homemade garlic bread? Keep it simple, and use plenty of garlic. All you need are a handful of staple ingredients and less than 30 minutes to create this herby, garlicky side to complete all of your pasta dinners right at home. This is an ideal easy side dish for any Italian dinner, but can even be a shareable game day app guests won't be able to get enough of. Read on for how to ace it, every time:
How to make garlic bread:
First, you’ve gotta choose the right bread. We like to choose a long loaf that’s easy for cutting and sharing, like a baguette or French bread. Make your loaf homemade if you’re really looking to go over the top, or pick one up from your local bakery.
Now, on to the best part—our toppings. We kept it simple with flavorful basics in this recipe: A garlic compound butter made from garlic, salt, butter and fresh parsley is slathered over the baguette for an irresistible garlic flavor. We took our garlic butter recipe and doubled the amount of garlic to make sure this bread really nailed that garlic flavor. That being said, feel free to experiment with your own favorite herbs (oregano and Italian seasoning are great places to start). We also went cheesy with our version (because why not?), and threw on some Parmesan to kick it up a notch. If you prefer more of a melty, cheesier garlic bread, feel free to swap out the Parm for some freshly shredded mozzarella.
Depending on the size of your bread (and your love of garlic butter), the amount you spread may differ. No matter the size of your loaf, we recommend spreading a liberal amount with garlic butter and any additional toppings. If you have any garlic butter leftover, feel free to store it in an airtight container in the fridge to add it to fluffy potato rolls and sourdough toast. 😉
Achieve optimal crispiness:
We bake our bread for around 10 minutes to get perfectly toasty and golden along the edges; however, if you prefer your garlic bread a tad crispier, feel free to give it a few more minutes in the oven—just make sure to keep a close eye on it to avoid burning! Prefer softer bread? Same deal: Check on your bread at around 8 minutes to see if it’s your ideal color and texture.
What should I serve with garlic bread?
This recipe is the perfect side for our spaghetti Bolognese, penne alla vodka... or really any Italian pasta dinner to soak up the rest of any delicious pasta sauce left on your plate. If you're looking for the easiest party app, serve it by itself with some homemade marinara to dip in for an ideal crowd pleaser.
Storage and freezing:
If you have any leftovers, store the bread in a plastic bag and transfer to the freezer. The bread should keep for about 3 months and any time you want a slice (or four), place them in a 375° oven until thawed and crispy. If you plan on eating the leftovers ASAP, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
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- Yields:
- 6 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 10 mins
- Total Time:
- 20 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 299
Ingredients
- 4
cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 c.
(1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tbsp.
chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
- 1
baguette or loaf French bread, halved lengthwise
- 1/4 c.
finely grated Parmesan
Directions
- Step 1Preheat oven to 425° and line a large baking sheet with foil. In a small bowl, mix garlic, butter, parsley, and salt until well combined.
- Step 2Liberally spread cut sides of bread with garlic butter. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Arrange on prepared sheet.
- Step 3Bake bread until toasty and golden at the edges, about 10 minutes.
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