Ultimate Garlic Bread

Name: Ultimate Garlic Bread
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 11 min
Total time: 23 min
Ingredients: 1 large loaf of Italian ciabatta or French baguette (I); 3 Tablespoons garlic (roasted garlic); 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted ); 1/4 cup mixed minced fresh herbs ((oregano, basil, rosemary, parsley)); 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1 pinch red pepper flakes

February 7, 2020 by Mahy, Updated November 17, 2020 40 Comments

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Make this Garlic Bread once and you will never reach for store-bought again! This garlic bread recipe is buttery, garlicky, crunchy and addictive thanks to my secret blend of butter, roasted garlic, herbs and parmesan cheese!

This is seriously the BEST homemade garlic bread you’ll make. I’ve included a video so you can see how easy it comes together. Plus I’ve included tips on how to make garlic bread to fit your taste.

Dear Reader, I have a confession. I Love Garlic Bread. You’ll always find a hidden loaf of it in my freezer. Always. It’s like my go to appetizer or side to any meal. I can’t wait for you to make it!

GARLIC BREAD

I feel like everyone has a favorite type of garlic bread. Some love a soft loaf while others love a crunchy one. However, I know everyone loves a rich flavorful garlic bread!

So that’s why I wanted to cover everything you need to know about making garlic bread homemade in this post.

A few things to know so that you make this recipe your own:

The bread you choose will determine the final texture of your garlic bread.
If you start with a soft Italian loaf (like I did) you’ll end up with soft garlic bread, however if you start with a baguette you’ll end up with a crunchy garlic bread.
To get a seriously rich garlic taste, use Roasted Garlic. I’ve made a video of how to roast garlic so you can read all about it and how to use it in many different recipes.
Roasted garlic creates a deep sweet rich garlic flavor to your bread. If you’re rushed you can use fresh garlic or garlic powder, but you’ll end up with a slight after taste.
Herbs are KEY to a good garlic bread recipe. Use a combo of thyme, oregano and basil or at least one of them.
Butter is my favorite flavor, however you can substitute that with olive oil.
Parmesan cheese is optional and you’ve probably didn’t think of it. However, it adds so much flavor and depth to your homemade garlic bread so I strongly urge you not to skip it.
Chilli flakes for me are a must, but I didn’t include them today because the girls were home and waiting to eat with me, so I skipped it.

GARLIC BREAD RECIPE

Now that we’ve broken down each ingredient, I’d love to share my favorite bread recipe!

I’ve used a soft Italian loaf because I love soft garlic bread, and also because the girls wanted to have some with this Luscious Carrot Tomato Basil Soup.

I won’t deny that I love a nice crunchy baguette or ciabatta loaf of garlic bread often times, especially on a cheese board.

You can not miss this post Roasted Garlic & How to Roast Garlic on the blog. It’s another video which covers the magic of roasting garlic and the many ways to use it. For today’s recipe, roasted garlic is my secret ingredient.

And once you try it, you’ll understand why. You don’t get any after taste from using garlic powder (like most recipes do) or the slight pungent taste of fresh garlic. I can’t stress enough on making your own roasted garlic.

Today’s herbs were a blend of fresh thyme, fresh oregano, fresh parsley and fresh basil. I probably always have these herbs on hand because that’s what I do for a living! But either way, you can pick one of them or any combo of herbs you like/have on hand.

The cheese. It’s Parmesan for me today because I feel it’s the basic flavor. But I’ve made it a few times with goat cheese in this post Fruity Goat Cheese Bread.

And my other favorite is making it with blue cheese. That one was seriously divine. I was teaching an Italian cooking class and made the blue cheese garlic bread on an antipasto platter. It was a HIT.

HOW TO MAKE GARLIC BREAD

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the Loaf of bread lengthwise.

In a small bowl, mix the roasted garlic, butter, herbs, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.

Take a spoon and spread the garlic mixture over the insides of the loaves. Now place the two loaves on top of each other.

Line your baking sheet with ChicWrap aluminum foil. And place the loaf in the foil, wrap it well.

Bake the bread for 2 minutes until the flavors seep in and the crust gets slightly crispy.

Unfold the loaf and slice it into strips.

Slice and Enjoy!

GARLIC BREAD TIPS

Always start with your favorite type of bread because that’s the same type of read you’l end up with.
Use Roasted Garlic for the BEST garlic flavor.
Add your taste by using either butter or olive oil, and use your favorite herbs.
Parmesan cheese is used for flavor, not for the cheesy stretchy effect.
If you want cheese garlic bread, spread a layer (1 cup) of shredded mozzarella cheese over the tops of the loaf of bread before slicing. Return back to the oven for 3 minutes until it melts.
If you prefer a harder/crunchier crust and a soft inside, bake the bread uncovered for 8 minutes longer.
Store the whole loaf of garlic bread wrapped well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Deforst over the counter or wrapped in foil in the oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.

GARLIC RECIPES

Roasted Garlic &How to Roast Garlic

How to Cook Mussels with Garlic and Lemon Sauce

Easiest Garlic Herb Roast Chicken

Easy and Fresh Garlic Lemon Pasta

Soothing Garlic Chickpea Soup

Garlic Blue Cheese Dip

Quick Shrimp Pasta with Garlic Feta Sauce

Sliced up garlic bread sticks on a cutting board

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