Description
This Homemade Garlic Bread recipe features a crusty Italian or French bread slathered with a flavorful garlic butter mixture, baked until golden and toasty, then topped with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Perfect as a delicious side or appetizer, this garlic bread is easy to prepare and sure to delight your taste buds.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread
- 1 16 ounce loaf of Italian or French bread
Garlic Butter Mixture
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (12 tablespoons for the bread and 4 tablespoons for extra dipping butter)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley, divided
- 1 teaspoon coarse or flaked sea salt
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a large baking sheet with foil to prepare for baking the bread.
- Slice Bread: Slice the loaf in half lengthwise and place each half cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet for easy topping and baking.
- Prepare Garlic Butter: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, minced garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a low boil and let boil for 1 minute, taking care not to let the garlic brown.
- Strain and Mix: Pour the garlic butter through a mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl to remove solids. Add 1 tablespoon of the minced parsley and mix well for freshness.
- Apply Butter to Bread: Spread or brush all but 4 tablespoons of the garlic butter mixture evenly over the bread halves, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Bake Bread: Bake the bread at 350°F on the middle rack for 10 minutes until the bread starts to crisp and the butter infuses the bread.
- Add Parmesan and Broil: Remove bread from oven, increase oven temperature to broil, then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over the bread.
- Broil Bread: Return bread to the oven and broil for 1-2 minutes, until the bread is toasty, golden, and the cheese bubbles slightly. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
- Garnish and Cool: Remove the bread from the oven, sprinkle the remaining ½ tablespoon of parsley on top, and let cool for 1 minute before slicing.
- Serve: Use the leftover garlic butter mixture as a dipping sauce if desired, and serve the garlic bread immediately for best taste and texture.
Notes
- Make sure not to let the garlic brown during cooking to avoid bitterness.
- Use fresh parsley and freshly grated Parmesan for the best flavor.
- Watch the bread closely during broiling as it can burn quickly.
- Leftover garlic butter can be saved and used to add flavor to other dishes or as a dipping sauce.
- You can adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to control the spiciness of the bread.