Easy Homemade Garlic Bread
Crisp-edged garlic bread with a buttery garlic-herb spread and plenty of Parmesan.
- Measurements grams + cups
- Cuisine Italian-American
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Fresh garlic and parsley rather than a garlic powder shortcut.
- Twenty minutes, and most of that is the oven.
- Foil for soft, open for crisp — you choose.
Recipe
Easy Homemade Garlic Bread
Buttery garlic bread with crisp edges in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Ingredients scaled. The method below still refers to the original quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1. Heat the oven to 200 C / 400 F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Step 2. Slice the bread in half lengthwise.
- Step 3. Mix the softened butter, garlic, parsley, Parmesan, salt, and oregano until evenly combined.
- Step 4. Spread the garlic butter generously over the cut sides of the bread.
- Step 5. Place the bread cut-side up on the prepared pan.
- Step 6. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until hot and lightly crisp around the edges.
- Step 7. For a more toasted top, broil for 1 minute, watching closely.
- Step 8. Slice into pieces and serve warm.
Notes
- For softer garlic bread, wrap the loaf loosely in foil for most of the baking time, then open the foil for the final 2 minutes.
- Watch the grill closely if you use it. Garlic bread goes from golden to burnt in under a minute.
- Spread the butter right to the edges. Bare crust dries out while the middle is still soft.
- Make the garlic butter ahead and keep it in the fridge for up to a week.
Easy Homemade Garlic Bread — Simple Table Recipes · https://simpletablerecipes.com/recipes/easy-homemade-garlic-bread/
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh minced garlic
- Fifteen grams is roughly five cloves and it should taste of garlic. Garlic powder gives a flatter, more uniform flavour if you prefer that.
- Softened butter
- Soft enough to spread without tearing the cut bread. Melted butter soaks straight in and leaves the surface greasy rather than buttery.
- Parmesan
- Browns under the heat and adds savoury depth. Optional, but it is what makes this taste like restaurant garlic bread.
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
Substitutions
- Baguette
- Ciabatta, focaccia or a soft Italian loaf. Sliced sandwich bread works for a quick version.
- Fresh parsley
- Dried parsley at about a third of the quantity. Chives or oregano also work.
- Cheesy version
- Add 100 g of grated mozzarella over the garlic butter and bake until bubbling.
Storage & Freezing
Storing: Best fresh. Refrigerate leftovers for 2 days and reheat in a hot oven rather than a microwave.
Freezing: Spread the garlic butter, wrap the loaf tightly and freeze unbaked for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding about 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should garlic bread be wrapped in foil?
It depends what you want. Foil steams the bread and keeps it soft throughout; open baking crisps the surface. Wrapping for most of the time and opening for the last two minutes gives you both.
Can I use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic?
Yes, about 5 g. The flavour is milder and more even. Fresh garlic is sharper and more pronounced, which is usually the point.
Why did my garlic burn?
Direct grill heat, or too long in the oven. Minced garlic in butter burns quickly once exposed. Bake rather than grill, or grill for no more than a minute with your eye on it.
Can I make garlic bread ahead?
Yes. Spread the butter, wrap the loaf and refrigerate for a day or freeze for three months. Bake straight from the fridge or freezer.
What bread is best for garlic bread?
A baguette or Italian loaf with a soft interior and a thin crust. Very dense sourdough works but is harder to bite through once toasted.
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