Get the Recipe: Easy Herb and Garlic Bread Loaf (from a bread loaf)
This easy herb and garlic bread loaf starts with a whole baked loaf of bread. Just mix up the garlic and herb butter, spread it, wrap it in foil and bake!
Ingredients
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled, DIVIDED
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (or salted butter and reduce or eliminate the added salt below)
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped or 1 1/2-2 Tbsp dried parsley leaves *see Note 1 below
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 lb unsliced bread loaf, *see Note 2 below for the best bread options
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F (regular bake setting - adjust as needed for convection or fan-assisted).
- Mince 8 of the 10 cloves garlic (peeled, DIVIDED) (about 2 1/2-3 Tablespoons), setting aside the other 2 garlic cloves for now.
- Add the minced garlic cloves to a small saucepan together with 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Gently heat the oil and garlic over medium-low heat, stirring and swirling constantly, until the garlic is tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Do not allow the garlic to colour at all. Remove the garlic and oil into a medium heatproof bowl and set aside to cool.
- Finely grate the remaining 2 garlic cloves. When the minced garlic and oil have cooled to room temperature, stir in the grated garlic, 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature (or salted butter and reduce or eliminate the added salt below)), 1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves (finely chopped or 1 1/2-2 Tbsp dried parsley leaves *see Note 1 below), 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (finely grated), 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Deeply score the bread loaf in 1-inch slices, but don’t cut all the way through the loaf. Using an offset spatula or a butter knife, generously spread the herb and garlic butter on one side of each slice, as far down as you can reach. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil and place it on a baking sheet.
- Bake the garlic bread loaf for 20 minutes (10 minutes if using smaller baguettes). Unwrap the foil on the top of the loaf to expose the bread and continue baking until the crust is browned and crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
- To serve, use a sharp knife to cut the slices of garlic bread all the way through into individual pieces.
Notes
Note 1: Parsley is a classic option for garlic bread, but you can add other herbs if you like. Fresh basil leaves are a nice addition. You could also add a pinch of fresh or dried oregano and/or thyme. Finely chopped chives can also be added, though they do add a distinct onion flavour to the garlic bread.
Note 2: Bread options for Herb and Garlic Bread Loaf
If you are a fan of soft crust and crumb, try an Italian loaf. Calabrese bread (shown in the photos here) is one of my favourites. It makes a soft type of garlic bread with a light crumb and a soft crust.
On the other end of the spectrum, opt for a crusty sourdough or an oval-shaped (batard) French bread for a crisp crust and chewy garlic bread.
In an event, start with an unsliced loaf, and you'll find that the oblong, oval loaves (batard) tend to work best. Go for something bigger than a baguette, if possible, though baguettes will work. Round loaves aren't ideal, as they will produce quite huge slices :)
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for more tips, storage and freezing guidance and step-by-step photos that you might find helpful.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 178kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 19mg, Sodium: 194mg, Potassium: 69mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 342IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 77mg, Iron: 1mg
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