Breads

Supreme Garlic Bread

To make the ultimate garlic bread, you need three things: good bread, ample butter, and lots of garlic. Texture, too, is important — first, we bake the loaf, wrapped in foil, until the butter is melted and the bread is warmed through. Then we expose the garlic-buttered faces of each loaf to the heat of the broiler, so the bread browns and crisps. This recipe comes from our cookbook, the Big Book of Bread. Order it now!

Based on The Big Book of Bread’s King Arthur Baking recipe ↗

Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 10, 1 large loaf (serves 8 to 10)
Oven, conventional: See source recipe

Before you begin

Read the whole recipe, then get these ready.

Read the original source for equipment and pan size
Kitchen scale
Measuring spoons

Imported for private use. Check the original source before baking and add your own Indian kitchen notes.

Ingredients

Measurements

Original recipe weights. Small quantities stay in measuring spoons; eggs stay as counts. 1 kg = 1,000 g.

113 gunsalted butter, softened
25 ggarlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
table salt, to tastetable salt, to taste
ground black pepper, freshly ground; to tasteground black pepper, freshly ground; to taste
1 loaf Everyday French Bread or other crusty bread1 loaf Everyday French Bread or other crusty bread
25 gParmesan cheese, grated
red pepper flakes, for sprinkling; optionalred pepper flakes, for sprinkling; optional

Let’s bake

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2
In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, garlic, and parsley until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3
Cut the bread lengthwise into two planks, and slather the cut sides with the butter, spreading evenly.
4
Sandwich the bread together, buttered sides touching, then wrap the loaf in foil. Place the foil-wrapped loaf on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to the oven.
5
Bake for 10 minutes, then unwrap the loaf and arrange the two halves side by side on top of the foil, buttered-side up. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, dividing evenly, and top with some red pepper flakes to taste.
6
Preheat the broiler and arrange an oven rack in the top position. Return the bread (still on the pan) to the top rack and broil until deep golden brown, watching carefully so the bread doesn’t burn, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and cut each half crosswise into thick batons. Serve warm.

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