Dinner Party Worthy Garlic Bread

Once you see how easy it is to make homemade garlic bread, you’ll never look at store-bought the same way again. Straight from my family’s dinner table, this delicious, buttery garlic bread is so easy to make with just 10 minutes of prep. Bonus: I’ll share my five top tips for the BEST darn garlic bread you’ll ever make!

Is there anything better than a warm loaf slathered in garlicky, herby butter? I genuinely don’t think so. Garlic bread is my go-to way to start a gathering — crusty on the outside, soft in the middle, and rich with melted butter, fresh garlic, and parsley in every bite.

This recipe is wonderfully simple, but a few details make it unforgettable. Finely grated fresh garlic gives you bold flavor without harsh bites, and fresh parsley keeps everything bright and vibrant. Start with a sturdy loaf — French bread or, my favorite, sourdough — so it can soak up salted butter without going limp. Bake it wrapped in foil first so the butter melts deep into the slices, then uncover it at the end to turn the edges golden and crisp.

Garlic bread is so versatile – it’s perfect with nearly every pasta dish, but it’s non-ngotable if you’re making cheesy lasagna or spaghetti with meatballs. I also make this almost everytime I make one of my soup recipes. Pair it with a classic Caesar salad for a dinner to remember!

Freezing garlic bread

One of the BEST things about this homemade garlic bread recipe is that it freezes well, so you can pop some in the freezer and always have delicious garlic bread on demand. Whether it’s on hand for last-minute entertaining or just for those nights when you’re craving something delicious with minimal effort, it’s the best!

Simply follow the recipe as instructed, stopping short of putting it in the oven. Instead, wrap it in aluminum foil and then pop it into an airtight container, or use a gallon-sized freezer bag and store it in the freezer for up to three months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, add a few minutes to the baking time and dig in!

Tap stars to rate!

4.91 stars (10 ratings)

Dinner Party Worthy Garlic Bread

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Rate Recipe Print

• Pin

SaveSaved!

Add us as a preferred source

Recipe video below. All garlic bread is good, but this garlic bread is fantastic. The garlic butter-to-bread ratio is spot on, so every slice is coated in flavor. My method of covering the bread until it's warmed through, and then uncovering it for a few minutes, creates a wonderfully soft loaf with deliciously crispy edges – just how it should be!

10

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 loaf unsliced sourdough bread (see notes)
• ▢ ½ cup butter (softened)
• ▢ 6 cloves garlic (grated with a microplane)
• ▢ ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ▢ ¼ cup finely minced parsley
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper

Instructions 

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice your loaf of bread into 1-inch pieces, but DON'T cut all the way through – leave a little of the bottom intact.
  1 loaf unsliced sourdough bread
  
• In a bowl, mix the butter, garlic, parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper.
  ½ cup butter, 6 cloves garlic, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, ¼ cup finely minced parsley, ¼ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
  
• Spread the butter mixture evenly inside the bread on all of the slices. Make sure each slice is well-coated on both sides all the way to the bottom.
  
• Wrap the bread in a piece of foil and place it on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, until the bread is hot in the middle.
  
• Open the foil (but keep the bread on it) and return the bread to the oven. Bake for about 5 minutes, until the bread is golden and a little crisp.
  
• To serve, either use a serrated knife to cut the pieces or (my favorite) serve it as is and let everyone tear off pieces of the best garlic bread ever.
  

Video

Notes

Make a small batch of garlic bread: Sometimes, a whole loaf is too much for dinner. To make a smaller batch, cut thick bread slices and coat them with garlic butter. Lay them on a baking tray and cover them with foil. Once they’re hot and the butter has melted (about 10 minutes), remove the cover for 2-3 minutes to ever-so-slightly crisp them. 

Bread: Garlic bread is often made with French bread, but I think it tastes much better with a good sourdough loaf. For the best garlic bread, visit your local bakery and pick up a crusty sourdough loaf. 

Slicing: I like the rustic approach of slicing almost through the loaf but leaving the bottom intact. This way, you get an extra crunchy, butter-soaked piece at the bottom where all the slices were torn off—it’s the best. But if tearing off slices of buttery bread isn’t your idea of fun, you can slice through the loaf after it’s baked.

Garlic: If you don’t have a microplane, use the small holes on your grater and then use your knife to chop it into a paste. You don’t want big chunks of overwhelming garlic.

Butter: I like salted butter, but I like things salty. If you don’t, choose unsalted butter. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 229kcal (11%), Carbohydrates: 25g (8%), Protein: 7g (14%), Fat: 12g (18%), Saturated Fat: 7g (44%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 29mg (10%), Sodium: 492mg (21%), Potassium: 80mg (2%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 2g (2%), Vitamin A: 453IU (9%), Vitamin C: 3mg (4%), Calcium: 76mg (8%), Iron: 2mg (11%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.

More great bread-y sides

1 hour hr

No Yeast Bread with Herbs and Cheese

35 minutes mins

Zucchini Cornbread Muffins with Chili Honey Butter

55 minutes mins

Easy Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

40 minutes mins

Quinoa Cornbread Muffins