My go-to for garlic bread! French bread, butter, fresh garlic, garlic powder, Parmesan, and parsley. It’s so simple and so ridiculously good.
House Favorite Garlic Bread
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Decided to make this with the five ingredient tomato soup instead of buying the frozen stuff tonight. So good and easy! This will definitely be my go to garlic bread now! Thanks for sharing.
I mean, you can make what you want for dinner, but what gets people excited is the garlic bread.
This is our house favorite garlic bread, the one I make almost weekly at this point in the year.
I like a garlic bread that is crisped, golden, heavily garlicked, a little Parm-y, and thoroughly saturated with butter. It’s not overloaded with cheese because it’s not cheese bread! I feel strongly about this. It’s garlic bread. It’s classic, it’s incredibly savory, and it’s so ridiculously good!
House Favorite Garlic Bread
- Take Me To The Recipe
- Why I Love This Recipe
- Ingredients for Garlic Bread
- How to Make This Garlic Bread
- Reviews
Why I Love This Garlic Bread
Garlic bread is something that I’ve spent a stupid amount of time thinking about over the last 2-ish years.
We did a soup series a few years ago, and I was thisclose to posting a garlic bread recipe in the series, but I never quite locked it in. I just could never commit to a certain type of bread, or a particular texture, or just a general look and feel. Do we want it crusty? Chewy? Hearty? Or light and toasty?
A few years and many batches of garlic bread later, and I think I’ve landed. And we are garlic bread happy over here.
This is the house favorite garlic bread at the Ostrom household these days – a dense but springy Italian loaf as the base, generously slathered with butter and Parmesan, appropriately garlicky but not overdone (and important balance, even for garlic bread), and flecked with bits of fresh herb to just elevate the eating experience.
The end result is golden brown, buttery and savory, with a satisfying bite and chew to it. It makes for elite dipping, sopping, and scooping, which is a top quality for me when it comes to garlic bread.
Another important quality: this is fast. In our house, garlic bread is usually a bonus meal item (served with spaghetti, soup, etc.) in which case I’m willing to give it 15 minutes of my life, but no more.
Current favorite way to eat this garlic bread: dunked in a rich tomato soup or scooping up this amazing baked tortellini or this ricotta meatball skillet situation.
Ingredients For This Garlic Bread
There aren’t many! Yay!
- Italian bread (more on that in a second)
- Butter
- Garlic (I use both fresh garlic and a pinch of garlic powder)
- Parmesan cheese
- Parsley
Which leads us to the most important decision one can make about garlic bread, I think.
My Thoughts on The Bread Selection
This is something that I’ve spent a stupid amount of time thinking about.
All of it comes down to this:
What do you really want from your garlic bread?
Do you want it to sop up sauces? Do you want it to give you a hearty, crusty chunk that you can sink your teeth into? Do you just want it to be a vehicle for that Parmesan-laced garlic butter flavor?
Some options we have:
- Italian loaf
- French bread
- Baguette
(French loaf and baguette pictured here.)
Ultimately I’ve found that I prefer the Italian loaf for a few reasons:
- It has a wider, flatter shape that works well for garlic bread;
- It has a more even crumb with fewer holes.
- It’s dense enough to be a little chewy, but not as chompy as the baguette. The perfect in-between!
When I say Italian loaf, I’m talking about something like this. A take-and-bake style, flatter, wider, smallish loaf of bread.
My second favorite would be the French bread: I thought I wouldn’t like the light, fluffiness of the French loaf but I’ve actually really enjoyed it because it can kind of be both – it gets crunchy and chewy with the golden browning of the Parmesan on top, but it’s light enough to sop up whatever sauces and soups you’re eating it with.
The baguette has a nice chew, but there are so many holes and nooks and crannies that it’s hard to get your butter to lay on a flat surface. That said… garlic bread almost never tastes bad. 🙂 There’s room for every bread type here.
I’ve also seen garlic bread made with challah, and sourdough, and ciabatta. But if you’re asking me (and you are on my website!) in the year of our Lord 2023, I’m going with the Italian loaf!
How To Make This Garlic Bread
Step 1: Soften your butter.
I do this in the microwave, in short increments, and then whisk it to get it smooth-ish. Cutting it into uniform chunks (like the photo above) will help it soften at an even rate.
Step 2: Grate that garlic right in there.
My hot take: anything more than one clove is overpowering and generally unpleasant. Stop at one!
It doesn’t seem like it will be enough, but trust me. Even for me – a self-proclaimed garlic lover – one clove is plenty.
Step 3: Add Parmesan and parsley.
Finely grated Parmesan cheese is where it’s at! That savory flavor and golden browning – YUM.
I also like to add a little bit of garlic powder at this point just to slightly extend my garlick-ing of things (but with more subtlety than fresh garlic).
Step 4: Spread that amazingness on your bread.
I find this amount of butter mixture is good for one full Italian loaf, of half of a French bread loaf.
Really, really coat it. Layer it on. Be generous.
Step 5: Bake it!
If you don’t want any browning, first of all, why? It’s delightful. Second of all, you’ll just want go for more like 375 to 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes.
If you like it a little golden brown, like I do, with a bit of texture on top, shoot for 10 minutes at 400 to 425 degrees. Just keep an eye on it and nudge it up as needed.
Cut those halves into strips and get straight to the dunking!
House Favorite Garlic Bread
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings (about 2 pieces per person) 1x
Description
My go-to for garlic bread! French bread, butter, fresh garlic, garlic powder, Parmesan, and parsley. It’s so simple and so ridiculously good.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- half a loaf of French bread or a full loaf of Italian bread
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, cut into chunks
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Soften the butter in the microwave in short increments.
- Garlic: Grate the garlic directly into the butter.
- Parm and Parsley: Add the garlic powder, Parmesan, and parsley; stir to combine. If it’s too runny, just pop it in the fridge for a minute.
- Spread the Butter: Cut the bread in half and spread with a thick layer of the butter mixture.
- Bake: Bake for 9-10 minutes in the middle of the oven. Add an extra 1-2 minutes if you want for more browning.
- Serve! Remove from the oven, cut into slices, and serve. Life is good.
Equipment
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Notes
For the exact amount of bread, see photos above! For a small Italian loaf, I use all of the butter! The photo with the French bread next to the baguette – that shows how much French bread I use for this amount of butter. It will all depend on the size of your loaf.
If you use unsalted butter, be sure to add a pinch of salt to the butter mixture!
This is AMAZING to freeze! Spread the bread with the butter as usual, then pop it in the freezer. Once solid, throw it in a bag or wrap in foil. You have garlic bread at the ready to bake the next time the craving strikes! What a treat!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Sides
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: garlic bread, homemade garlic bread, soup sides, cheesy bread
Frequently Asked Questions For This Garlic Bread
How would you freeze the garlic bread?
Spread the bread with a thick layer of the butter mixture, then put the two halves together so that you don’t have any butter on the outside. Wrap it in foil or plastic wrap and freeze until you’re ready to bake! To bake: thaw, separate the two pieces so they’re butter-side up, and bake as directed.
Could you use another type of bread besides French bread? (baguette, ciabatta, etc.)
Yes! I’ve done them all and they’re all great. I love French bread the most (as discussed above) but I promise nobody is going to turn down any kind of bread with this garlicky buttery Parmesan-laced mixture slathered all over it.
How can I make this vegan?
Use a plant-based butter and skip the cheese!
Could you use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic?
Yes! I prefer the taste of fresh garlic because I think it makes it taste a little more zingy, But for a fast and easy back-up option, yes, absolutely you can use garlic powder. Be aware that garlic powder sometimes burns in the oven if you have it too close to the heating element!
Three Recipes I Actually Can’t Live Without
October 27, 2023
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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Happy Friday Lindsay,
I think the combination of butter, garlic, and fresh herbs made it so flavorful and aromatic. Some people may especially love the tip about broiling it for the last few minutes; it gave the bread that perfect crispy edge. This will definitely be the go-to garlic bread recipe from now on for some folk. Thank you for sharing such a delightful and easy-to-follow recipe. Can’t wait to explore more recipes from your blog. 🙂
Yes true this combination is my favourite too <3
I too have tried many different types of bread and agree that a french bread is really the best for garlic bread! I haven’t tried grating my garlic into the butter before so I will do that next time!
I am a huge garlic bread fan. And this recipe is screaming to go and make some.
Gracious! 😋
loved it
Looks amazing, was wondering can I use dry parsley? Or leave it out if I don’t have fresh? I don’t always have fresh on hand.
Dried works just fine!
Can you freeze it?
Easy and delicious!
Can I prepare the bread ahead of time,then bake when ready?
Yep, that should work just fine!
Your recipes look delicious! Please add me!
The garlic bread looks amazing! Thank you for the recipe!
Decided to make this with the five ingredient tomato soup instead of buying the frozen stuff tonight. So good and easy! This will definitely be my go to garlic bread now! Thanks for sharing.
Amazing! Definitely my new go-to. I left out the parsley for my green food averse kiddos but it was still so good!
Look delicious Lindsay!
Can this be frozen at some point then baked in the oven?
To freeze this, I’d spread the bread with a thick layer of the butter mixture, then put the two halves together so that you don’t have any butter on the outside. Wrap it in foil or plastic wrap and freeze until you’re ready to bake! To bake: thaw, separate the two pieces so they’re butter-side up, and bake as directed.
So good and so easy. Will definitely be making again.
The best garlic bread recipe ever! I used vegan parmesan cheese and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing your amazing recipes!
Can i prepare a day ahead? If so do i keep it on the counter or in refrigerator?
Yes, you can! Keep it in the fridge!
Thank you for this truly delicious garlic bread. There are no leftovers, darn it! I will just have to make it again and again and again and again. Really, really good … thank you very much!
Rave reviews from the husband and, even more remarkably, from the in-laws! We practically licked the cutting board clean. I will be making this garlic bread again and again.
That sounds like the perfect classic garlic bread recipe! The combination of French bread, butter, fresh garlic, and garlic powder packs a double punch of garlicky flavor, while the Parmesan adds that savory richness and the parsley gives it a fresh pop. Simple ingredients, but the result is undeniably delicious. This is definitely one of those go-to recipes that never fails to impress!
this was so good, I used the take n bake Italian bread from aldi and it crunchy yet soft.
The garlic bread was amazing! You’re right, one clove was plenty! I might do a smidge less butter next time but gosh it was tasty!
So delicious and fresh. Easy to make too!
My new go to for pasta night, really good!
I was so glad to read the freezing instructions. We are two seniors who love every kind of food, but find our appetites have reduced. So making this bread, dividing into four, and freezing three would be amazing. Four meals with a side of delicious, crunchy garlic bread. Mmmmm!
BEST recipe!!! Perfection! I accidentally bought ciabatta bread at the store when I was rushing, and I was sad when I got home because I thought it would be too tough… wrong! It literally MELTS in your mouth. Thank you for another family FAVE!