Garlic Bread
Italian-style garlic bread — sliced baguette topped with garlic butter, herbs, and Parmesan, broiled until golden. Restaurant-quality at home in 10 minutes. The trick is softened butter (not melted) and fresh garlic.
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Servings
6
Calories
222 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Bread3 slices
- Garlic4 ½ cloves
- Butter½ cup
- Salt1 ½ tsp
- Black Pepper¾ tsp
- Cooking Oil1 ½
All quantities scaled automatically from 6 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Bread3 slices
- Garlic4.5 cloves
- Butter0.5 cup
- Salt1.5 tsp
- Black Pepper0.75 tsp
- Cooking Oil1.5
Instructions
- 1
Heat the broiler to high. Slice a baguette into ½-inch thick rounds (or a wide country loaf into pieces). Place on a baking sheet.
- 2
Make the garlic butter: in a bowl, mash together ½ cup softened butter, 5 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes.
- 3
Spread the garlic butter generously on each bread slice — about 1 teaspoon per piece. Top with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley.
- 4
Broil 2-3 minutes until the butter is bubbling and the edges are golden brown. WATCH CAREFULLY — broilers go from perfect to burnt in 30 seconds.
- 5
Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with more fresh parsley and a final pinch of flaky salt.
- 6
Arrange on a platter, serve immediately. Best eaten within 5 minutes of broiling — the garlic butter is at its peak right out of the oven.
Watch how to make Garlic Bread
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💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Softened butter, not melted. Melted butter soaks into the bread and disappears. Soft butter sits on top and creates the crispy buttery surface.
- 2.Fresh garlic, not jarred. Jarred garlic has a sour off-note that the heat amplifies.
- 3.Watch the broiler. The transition from golden to burnt takes 30 seconds. Don't walk away.
- 4.Parmesan in butter AND on top. Doubling the Parmesan gives savory depth that single application can't match.
🔬 Why It Works
Italian-style sliced garlic bread is different from baguette-style — the smaller pieces have more surface area for the garlic butter, and the broiling creates intense top-down heat that bubbles the butter and toasts the edges quickly. Fresh garlic in soft butter undergoes chemistry changes in the heat — harsh sulfur compounds mellow into sweet-toasty notes. Parmesan adds glutamates that amplify savory perception.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 6 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 6 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
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