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Garlic Bread · Classic Loaf

Classic Homemade Garlic Bread

A whole loaf split and spread with garlic and parsley butter, then baked until the edges crunch and the middle stays soft. Made for pasta night.

New, no ratings yet0 reviewsby Simmerbee Kitchen

Prep
10 min
Cook
13 min
Total
25 min
Serves
8
Level
Easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb crusty bread, one Italian or French loaf
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
    Swaps for unsalted butter

    Instead of butter

    • Salted butter: The same amount, with about ¼ tsp less salt per stick (½ cup) elsewhere in the recipe. Nothing noticeable once you cut the salt.
    • Plant-based butter sticks: The same amount. The closest swap.
    • Refined coconut oil: The same amount: solid when the butter is soft or cold, melted when it is melted. It is all fat, so bakes are a bit more tender and rich, with no butter flavor.

    All 4 swaps for butter

    Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.

  • 5 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
    Swaps for garlic

    Instead of garlic

    • Garlic powder: ⅛ tsp for each clove. Mellower and sweeter, with no bite.
    • Jarred minced garlic: ½ tsp for each clove. Milder and slightly sour from the preserving liquid.

    More for garlic

  • 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
    Swaps for parsley

    Instead of parsley

    • Dried parsley: 1 tsp dried for each 1 tbsp chopped fresh (a third as much). Very mild; it adds color more than flavor.
    • Cilantro: The same amount. Stronger and citrusy; suits Mexican and Asian dishes.
    • Celery leaves or chervil: The same amount. Celery leaves are peppery and grassy; chervil is mild with a hint of anise.

    More for parsley

  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
    Swaps for kosher salt

    Instead of salt

    • Table salt or fine sea salt: About half as much as Diamond Crystal kosher, about ¾ as much as Morton kosher. The same saltiness when measured this way.
    • Salt by weight: 1 tsp is about 6 grams of table salt, 5 grams of Morton kosher, 3 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher. The most reliable way to swap, especially in baking and brines.

    More for salt

  • 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, finely grated (optional)
    Swaps for Parmesan cheese

    Instead of parmesan

    • Pecorino Romano: The same amount. Sharper and saltier (it is made from sheep's milk), so go easy on other salt.
    • Grana Padano: The same amount. Milder and a little softer, very close otherwise.
    • Nutritional yeast: 2 tbsp for each ¼ cup grated parmesan. Nutty and cheesy, but it doesn't melt or brown.

    More for parmesan

    Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.

  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
    Swaps for red pepper flakes

    Instead of red pepper flakes

    • Cayenne: About half as much. Even heat throughout, no flakes.
    • Hot sauce or chili crisp: To taste. Hot sauce adds vinegar; chili crisp adds crunch and oil.
    • A fresh hot chile: Half a jalapeño or serrano for each ½ tsp. Fresh, green heat.

    More for red pepper flakes

Cooking for a crowd? Pans, timing and salt for 12 to 50.

Missing something? Tap Swaps next to an ingredient, or see all substitutions.

Steps

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the middle.
    400°F
  2. In a bowl, mash the softened butter, garlic, parsley, salt, Parmesan and pepper flakes with a fork until evenly mixed.
  3. Slice (how to slice) Slice Cut food into flat pieces of the same thickness. 1. Give round food a flat side to sit on.2. Hold it with your fingertips curled under.3. Cut with long strokes, pushing the knife forward and down rather than straight down.4. Move your guiding hand back the same distance each time so every slice matches. Done when: The slices are even. For meat, slicing across the grain (across the lines of muscle) gives the tenderest bite. Safety: Keep the fingertips of your guiding hand curled under, knuckles toward the blade, and set the board on a damp towel so it can't slide. Slice hot roasts on a board with a groove for the juices.How to slice evenly: mistakes to avoid
    the loaf in half horizontally, like a sandwich.
  4. Spread the garlic butter over both cut sides, all the way to the edges.
  5. Set both halves cut side up on a sheet pan.
  6. Bake until the edges are golden and the butter is bubbling.
    400°F⏱ Bake: 11 min
  7. For extra crunch, switch to
    broil (how to broil) Broil Cook or brown food with strong heat from the top of the oven, like an upside-down grill. 1. Move an oven rack so the food will sit 3 to 6 inches from the heat.2. Turn the broiler on and give it a few minutes to heat.3. Use a metal pan (never glass that isn't broiler-safe) and put the food in.4. Stay at the oven and check every minute; things go from brown to burnt fast.5. Turn the food if the recipe says to. Done when: The top is browned and bubbly or charred in spots, usually in 1 to 5 minutes. Safety: Don't use parchment or wax paper under the broiler; it can catch fire. Use foil or a bare pan.How to broil: mistakes to avoid
    and broil, watching closely, until the top is toasty. Pull it out the moment it looks golden.
    ⏱ Broil: 1 min
  8. Let it cool for a couple of minutes, then cut into 2-inch slices and serve warm.

Tap an underlined word for how to do it, or see all techniques.

Tips

  • Really soft butter is the key. Leave it out for an hour, or warm it in 5-second bursts in the microwave without melting it.
  • Broilers are fast. Stay at the oven door for that last minute.

Storage

Wrap leftovers in foil and keep at room temperature 1 day. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes.

Make ahead

Spread the bread, wrap it tightly and refrigerate up to 1 day or freeze up to 2 months. Bake frozen bread at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes.

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage.

Quick answers

Can I freeze it?

Spread the bread, wrap it tightly and refrigerate up to 1 day or freeze up to 2 months. Bake frozen bread at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes.

What can I swap?
  • Instead of butter: Salted butter.
  • Instead of garlic: Garlic powder, ⅛ tsp for each clove.

Answered from this recipe's own storage, make-ahead and swap notes.

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories
260
Protein
6 g
Carbohydrates
30 g
Fiber
1 g
Sugars
3 g
Fat
13 g
Saturated fat
7 g
Sodium
400 mg

Whole recipe, 8 servings: about 2,070 calories.

Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 5 of 5 ingredients.

How we estimate

We add up USDA FoodData Central values for each measured ingredient as written and divide by the recipe's 8 servings, so changing the servings or units here doesn't change a serving. Brands, swaps, trimming and cooking all change the real numbers.

Not counted: Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes (optional).

Estimated cost

About $0.60 a serving

About $4.65 for the recipe as written (8 servings).

Estimate; prices vary by store and region. U.S. average prices for September 2026 from BLS Average Price Data and USDA ERS Purchase to Plate prices updated with the BLS Consumer Price Index. Priced: 4 of 5 ingredients, 100% by weight.

How we estimate

Each measured ingredient is weighed as in the nutrition estimate and priced at the U.S. average: BLS's average price where BLS publishes one, else USDA ERS's Purchase to Plate price for 2017-18 raised to September 2026 with the CPI for that food group. Whole packages, store brands, sales and regions all change the real cost: treat it as a ballpark.

  • crusty bread $3.40 ERS
  • unsalted butter $1.00 BLS
  • garlic $0.20 ERS
  • parsley $0.10 ERS

Not priced (no official average price we can match, so not in the total): kosher salt.

Not counted: Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes (optional, or to taste).

More dishes for less: cheap eats.

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Cleanup score 4/5 (easy cleanup): 2 things to wash, sheet pan, mixing bowl.

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