How to Make Perfect Garlic Bread: Simple Garlic Bread Recipe

Garlic bread is toasted bread—usually French bread or baguette—topped with either butter or olive oil, garlic, herbs, and sometimes cheese. Garlic bread is derived from Italian bruschetta and is typically served alongside Italian foods like pasta, lasagna, or pizza.

Learn how to make the best garlic bread in three easy steps.

1. 1. Make the garlic butter. Combine softened butter with garlic, cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. The garlic butter mixture can be made ahead and refrigerated; allow it to come to room temperature before using.
2. 2. Prepare the baguette. Cut deep slits into the loaf from one end to the other—but don’t slice all the way through. Set the baguette on a large piece of aluminum foil. Spread garlic butter in each slit. Wrap the bread in foil.
3. 3. Bake the bread. Set the foil-wrapped bread on a baking sheet and bake in a 400°F oven for 15 minutes, then carefully open the foil to expose the top of the bread. Return to oven and bake until golden brown on top and crispy on the edges, about 5 more minutes.

If you’ve made classic homemade garlic bread and are ready to branch out, there are several tasty variations:

1. 1. Cheesy garlic bread: For cheesy garlic bread, bake the garlic bread for about 15 minutes, then remove and place a slice of low-moisture mozzarella cheese into each slit. Return the loaf to the oven, uncovered, until the cheese is bubbly, about 5 more minutes.
2. 2. Herb garlic bread: When making the garlic butter, add a combination of tender herbs such as basil and chives. Make a little extra herb mixture, and sprinkle it on top of the bread when you take it out of the oven.
3. 3. Extra garlicky garlic bread: For really pungent garlic bread, like the kind you'll find at an Italian restaurant, add garlic powder and dried oregano to the butter mixture along with the fresh-pressed garlic cloves.