Easy Garlic Bread
Easy oven garlic bread with soft garlic butter, parsley and Parmesan on a French loaf. Crisp edges, soft center, ready in about 20 minutes.
43% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 10 min
- Cooking
- 13 min
- Serves
- 8
- Calories
- 270
- Protein
- 7 g
- Per serving
- $0.79
Why this recipe works
Garlic bread is the side everyone reaches for first at a pasta dinner. This version is the simple, reliable one: one loaf, one bowl of garlic butter, and about 20 minutes.
- Softened butter, not melted, sits on top of the bread and browns there; melted butter soaks straight in and makes the bread greasy and soggy.
- Grating the garlic to a paste spreads its flavor evenly through the butter, so there are no raw, bitter chunks.
- Baking cut-side up and finishing under the broiler gives a golden, crisp top while the inside stays soft.
Ingredients
You will need
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Small bowl
- Serrated knife
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Make the garlic butter
Mash the butter, garlic, parsley and salt together in the bowl with a fork until evenly mixed. Stir in the Parmesan if using.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Spread the bread
Cut the loaf in half lengthwise and set the halves cut-side up on the baking sheet. Spread the garlic butter evenly all the way to the edges.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Bake
Bake until the butter has melted and the edges are lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Broil and slice
Switch to broil and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely, until the top is golden and crisp in spots. Cut into thick slices and serve hot.
AI-generated illustration of this step.
Cook's notes
- Soften the butter on the counter for an hour; cold butter tears the bread and melted butter makes it soggy.
- Make the garlic butter up to a week ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, or freeze it for 3 months.
- To freeze the whole loaf, spread it, wrap it in foil and freeze; bake from frozen at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes.
Nutrition per serving
270 calories
$0.79 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 10% of calories | 7 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 44% of calories | 30 g |
| Fat | 46% of calories | 14 g |
| Fiber | 1 g | |
| Sodium | 530 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
What temperature do you bake garlic bread?
400°F for 10 to 12 minutes, then a minute or two under the broiler for a crisp, golden top.
What is the best bread for garlic bread?
A soft-crumbed French or Italian loaf. A thin baguette also works but bakes in 7 to 9 minutes.
Is garlic bread vegetarian?
Yes without the Parmesan. Traditional Parmesan is made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian hard cheese or leave it out if that matters to you.
