Perfect proportions of real butter and fresh garlic combine to make this recipe the Best Garlic Bread ever! It’s soft and gooey in the middle and crispy and crunchy all around the edges.
I know, I know. I hate it when folks call their recipes “the best,” too. But, y’all! This seriously is the best. I mean, it starts with a stick and a half of butter, for goodness’ sake! How can that be wrong?
Yeah, it’s a little decadent… perhaps even over-the-top. But if I’m going to eat some garlic bread, I want GOOD garlic bread. No, I want GREAT garlic bread. Scratch that… I want THE BEST garlic bread.
I made this the other night and as I was wiping the buttery goodness from my face and remarking about how delicious it was (my family hates it when I say the food I make is delicious – they call me braggadocios), I realized I haven’t shared this super easy recipe with y’all. So, here ya go…
Honestly, the only challenge in making this recipe is finding the right bread. Now, I’m sure there are plenty of different breads that will work, but for the proportions to be accurate, you need to find bread that’s close to what I describe here.
The problem is… it’s kinda hard to describe.
It’s a pretty generic loaf of bread. It’s often called French bread, but it’s not baguette. I’ve seen it labeled Italian bread, but it’s not super Italian. It’s long, wide, and fluffy with a thin and crusty exterior. Am I being vague enough?
In the test kitchen, we use what I call the “Walmart rule.” Simply put, it means that if you can’t find an ingredient at Walmart, we usually won’t use it in a recipe. Does that limit us some? Sure it does, but there’s an important reason it exists.
I want all the recipes found on Southern Bite to be approachable, easy, and accessible. I want the ingredients in our recipes to be affordable, straightforward, and easy to find. And the reality is that 90% of Americans are within 15 miles of a Walmart. So, chances are, if they sell it in Walmart, 90 percent of my readers have access to it.
Now, this rule has its limitations. White Lily flour, though found everywhere down in this part of the country, is pretty hard to get up north. But, it’s been a pretty reliable standard up until this point.
So, why all of this babble about Walmart? Well, because Walmart sells this bread in the bakery section and labels it French bread. Is that a totally accurate label? Probably not. But if you want to use what I use in this recipe, run to Walmart and buy that 14-ounce loaf of French bread in the clear cellophane bag. And even if you don’t get this at Walmart, the link above will at least show you what the bread I use looks like.
When it comes to the garlic in this recipe, make sure to use fresh garlic. Don’t opt for the jarred, frozen, or stuff in a tube. Yeah, it will all work, but the flavor just won’t be the same.
Yes, I use 4 cloves of garlic. I want *GARLIC* bread… not garlic bread. 😂
And while I’m a huge fan of a garlic press, for this bread, I like to use a knife to finely mince the garlic. There’s something about those little toasty chunks of garlic that just makes this taste so much better.
Recipe Card
The BEST Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- 1 (14 to 16-ounce) loaf soft French bread (not baguette)
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 4 large cloves garlic, finely minced (about 2 tablespoons minced)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Slice loaf of bread in half and place the pieces, cut side up, on the prepared pan.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the garlic and remove from the heat. Allow the garlic to steep in the butter for about 3 minutes. Add the salt and parsley and stir to combine. Use a spoon or pastry brush to coat the cut sides of the bread with the garlic butter.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. For extra crispiness, place under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, watching very carefully. Slice and serve warm.
