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This Italian Garlic Bread is an easy homemade garlic bread recipe made with a garlic and herb butter and Parmesan cheese. It comes together in about 15 minutes and it’s crispy, buttery, garlicky and completely addictive!

Cut pieces of garlic bread are scattered on a baking sheet.

This easy garlic bread is made with just a few ingredients, comes together in a pinch, and has crispy edges and a buttery center. It’s a  perfect side to serve with pastas, soups, stews, salads and skillets. 

Two French baguettes sit next to a bowl of melted butter, two sticks of butter, a jar of Italian herbs, a small bowl of chopped parsley and garlic and grated parmesan cheese.

I love a good Italian restaurant that serves generous baskets of garlic bread.  Whether the basket is filled with razor thin slices of bread toasted to perfection and dripping with butter, or it’s filled with big chunky pieces of toasted baguette impressively decorated with bits of fresh garlic, wafer thin leaves of parsley and dripping with butter.  It matters not to me.  I especially love a good Italian restaurant that serves refills of these generous baskets of garlic bread.!

Homemade Garlic Bread Recipe

You’ll only need a few ingredients to make this easy garlic bread recipe.

  • Bread – 1 loaf of Italian or French loaf or 1 large baguette
  • Garlic and Herb Butter –  1/2 cup unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced, plus 1-2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs or 2-3 teaspoons fresh parsley finely minced.
  • Cheese – We use grated Parmesan cheese for this bread
  • Garnish – This is optional, but you can sprinkle 2-3 teaspoons of organic lemon zest over the top of the already baked garlic bread and fresh parsley

How to Make Garlic Bread

This garlic bread recipe comes together in roughly 15 minutes start-to-finish.

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Prepare Cookie Sheet – Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.
  3. Slice Bread – Slice the baguette in half lengthwise and then cut each piece into three pieces.  Place the cut pieces of bread on the prepared cookie sheet.
  4. Make Garlic and Herb Butter – Set the butter out to soften at room temperature. Blend the olive oil and minced garlic together in a blender until the garlic is mostly blended into the oil and what’s left are very fine flecks of garlic.  Mix together the softened butter and garlic oil in a small bowl.  If you’re adding Parmesan cheese, you can also mash it in with the garlic and herb butter.
  5. Butter the Bread – Generously spread the garlic and herb butter on the sliced pieces of baguette. Sprinkle the top with cheese (if using and if you haven’t already mashed it into the garlic and herb butter). 
  6. Bake – Bake for 10-12 minutes, or more depending on how you like your garlic bread (softer or crispier).
  7. Garnish (Optional) – Add a pinch of chopped parsley and another pinch of lemon zest to the top of each slice of bread.

Variations

  1. Alternatively, you can melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the olive oil and garlic. Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon zest and herbs if using them.
  2. Using a pastry brush,  generously brush each bread slice with the garlic butter. 
  3. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese (if using) over each bread slice and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Four clear glass bowls, one filled with mashed garlic and herb butter, one with mashed parsley butter, one with melted butter and one with grated parmesan cheese.

What Is The Best Bread To Use For Garlic Bread?

The best garlic bread is made with a thick loaf of Italian bread, French bread, ciabatta or a French baguette.  The bread is easier to work with and slice if it is day-old bread. 

Several sliced pieces of baguette are scattered on a white cutting board.

What Is The Best Butter For Garlic Bread?

You can use salted or unsalted butter for garlic bread.  If using unsalted butter, just add 1/2 teaspoon to the butter.  

Several cut pieces of baguette are slathered with garlic and herbed butter. A clear bowl with a little smeared butter in it and a small butter knife sit next to the pieces of bread.

Garlic and Herb Butter Ratio

If you want a good and garlicky bread, use 3 to 4 cloves garlic per 1/2 cup butter plus 1 to 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs or 2-3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley (curly parsley is easier to finely chop).

What’s The Best Garlic To Use?

Fresh garlic adds the best flavor to garlic bread rather than using prepared garlic that comes in a jar or dried garlic powder.

Several pieces of cut baguette are scattered on a white cutting board. The bread slices are slathered generously with garlic and herb butter for Italian garlic bread

What’s The Best Cheese To Add To Garlic Bread?

Garlic bread is delicious without any cheese added at all, but if you want to make the bread extra special, then mash the cheese in with the butter or sprinkle Parmesan cheese or Parmesan Reggiano on top of the bread before baking. 

What Can I Serve With Garlic Bread?

Garlic bread is a classic favorite to serve with pastas,  soups,  salads, stews and skillets.

How To Reheat Garlic Bread

To reheat homemade garlic bread, just wrap it in foil and place it on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes until heated through.

Looking For More Bread Recipes?

Cut pieces of garlic bread are scattered on a baking sheet.
Yield: 6 Servings

Italian Garlic Bread

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

This Italian Garlic Bread is an easy homemade garlic bread recipe made with a garlic and herb butter and Parmesan cheese. It comes together in about 15 minutes and it's crispy, buttery, garlicky and completely addictive!

Ingredients

  • 1 large baguette
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs or 2 teaspoons fresh curly parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.
    3. Slice the baguette in half lengthwise and then cut each piece into three equal sized pieces.  Place the cut pieces of bread on the prepared cookie sheet.
    4. Set the butter out to soften at room temperature.
    5. Blend the olive oil and minced garlic together in a blender until the garlic to create a garlic oil. There will be very fine flecks of garlic left. Add them to the butter as well. If you don't want to make the garlic oil first, then just add the oil and minced garlic to the butter and mash them together.
    6. Mix together the softened butter and garlic oil in a small bowl.  Add herbs if using them, and If you're adding Parmesan cheese, you can also mash it in with the butter.
    7. Generously spread the garlic and herb butter on the sliced pieces of baguette. Sprinkle the top with cheese (if using and if you haven't already mashed it into the garlic and herb butter).
    8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or more depending on how you like your garlic bread (softer or crispier).
    9. Optional - Add a pinch of chopped parsley and another pinch of lemon zest to the top of each slice of bread.

Notes

Bread

  1. Use 1 loaf of Italian or French loaf or ciabatta instead of a baguette

Garlic and Herb Butter Ratio

  1. If you want a good and garlicky bread, use 3 to 4 cloves garlic per 1/2 cup butter plus 1 to 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs or 2 to 3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley (curly parsley is easier to finely chop).

 Method

  1. Alternatively, you can melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the olive oil and garlic. Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon zest and herbs if using them.
  2. Using a pastry brush,  generously brush each bread slice with the garlic butter. 
  3. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese (if using) over each bread slice and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 369Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 604mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 8g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations.

© The Harvest kitchen
Cuisine: Italian / Category: Sides