Garlic Bread
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This easy garlic bread recipe is crisp and golden on the outside, soft and buttery inside, with just the right amount of fresh garlic flavor.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
There’s always happiness at my house when garlic bread is on the menu, so this easy garlic bread recipe is in regular rotation. Two things make it especially good: the bread and the way the garlic is prepared.
I like ciabatta because its porous interior soaks up the garlic butter beautifully, while still getting golden and crisp in the oven. As for the garlic, I gently cook it in butter and olive oil first, which mellows its sharp bite and brings out its sweetness. After all, garlic bread should pack a punch—but it shouldn’t knock you out!
“This homemade garlic bread is the best! Wonderful as is, but sometimes we sprinkle on a little Parmesan cheese…my kids and hubby always go back for more!”
What You’ll Need To Make Garlic Bread
- Extra-virgin olive oil and unsalted butter: Together, they add richness and flavor to the garlic butter mixture.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic rather than garlic powder or pre-minced bottled garlic for the best flavor.
- Finely chopped fresh parsley: Adds a fresh, herby note and a pop of green.
- Salt & pepper: Season the garlic butter and enhance the other flavors.
- Ciabatta bread: Crusty on the outside, soft on the inside—it soaks up the garlic butter like a dream. A French baguette works too if that’s what you’ve got.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Garlic Bread
Make the garlic butter: Gently cook the garlic in the butter and olive oil until softened and fragrant, but not browned. Stir in the parsley, salt, and pepper. Cooking the garlic first mellows its sharpness and brings out its sweetness.
Prepare the Bread: Slice the ciabatta in half lengthwise and spread the garlic butter generously over the cut sides, letting it soak into all the nooks and crannies.
Bake until golden and crisp: Put the halves back together, wrap the loaf in foil, and bake until warmed through. Unwrap, separate the halves, and return them to the oven cut-side up until golden and crisp. The foil keeps the bread soft and buttery inside, while the final uncovered bake crisps the surface and edges.
What to Serve with Garlic Bread
Garlic bread is perfect alongside pasta dishes like spaghetti and meatballs, baked ziti, and lasagna, or with soups like minestrone and Italian wedding soup. Add a Caesar salad to round out the meal.
Make-Ahead Tip: You can assemble the garlic bread up to a day ahead or freeze it for up to 3 months. See the recipe card below for full make-ahead and freezing instructions.
More Italian FAvorites You’ll Love
Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 (1-lb) loaf ciabatta bread
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- In a small skillet, heat the oil and butter over low heat. When the butter is melted, add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the salt, pepper, and parsley.
- Slice the ciabatta in half horizontally. Brush or spoon the garlic butter mixture over the cut sides of the bread, covering completely. Place the halves back together again and wrap in aluminum foil. Place directly on the oven rack and bake until warm, about 10 minutes. Unwrap the bread and place it back in the oven, with the halves still together, for about 5 minutes, or until toasted and crisp. Cut into slices and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Do you think this could be frozen after preparing? Maybe thaw overnight in the refrigerator?
I’ve never frozen it so I can’t say from experience, but I think it should work. Please LMK how it comes out if you try it!
Beyond Delicious. My family absolutely loves this garlic bread… so simple, but such a crowd pleaser. Thank you, Jenn!
Hi Jenn,
Can this be made with another type of store bought bread? My grocery store doesn’t carry a ciabatta loaf. Thanks and love your recipes!
Sure, Lauren – you can use a baguette. Enjoy!
This recipe was so easy and delicious!! My guests raved about it!! I should have made more!! This is addicting!! LOL!!
Thanks!
I can’t wait to try this for something different!! Definitely a lot lighter and easier to make than yeast rolls!
If I make this ahead of time, does it need to be refrigerated?
Thanks for all your delicious recipes and wonderful advice!
Hi Wendy, I’ve never made this ahead, but you shouldn’t need to refrigerate it. Hope you enjoy!
I can’t wait to try this! If I plan to make it with your baked ziti (which I plan to assemble about three hours before cooking), how would change the cooking instructions since the oven temp for the ziti is supposed to be 425 and the garlic bread is supposed to be 400? Thanks! So excited for my Italian feast!
Hi Alex, That sounds like a delicious menu! The garlic bread will be fine at 425 – just cut back a few min on the cooking time. Please LMK how it all turns out. 🙂
The garlic bread was wonderful! I heated it in the foil for about 8 minutes, and then unwrapped for 3 minutes. The bread wasn’t quite as crispy as I wanted at that point, so I put it back in the oven for another 2 minutes—and that was the perfect amount of crispness.
How can I make this ahead?
Hi Catherine, The bread can be prepared up until the point it goes in the oven up to a day ahead, but it needs to be baked right before serving. Hope that helps!
This was excellent! My family asked for seconds and thirds but it was all done! Thanks for the amazing recipes!
This looks great. I can’t wait to try the recipe!
Hi Jenn, You make garlic bread exactly (almost) the way I do. I use a little lemon pepper instead of regular pepper, lots of garlic, a sprinkle of Italian seasoning, parmesan and parsley if I have it. I unwrapped it after it is nice and hot and broil for a min or so. My kids like it on the crispy side. I also let the garlic seep in the melted butter and o/o for several hours.