do you ever wake up with a word in your mind? i did this morning, and it was “GARLICBREAD”
i’d never actually made classic garlic bread at home so immediately went on a deep dive to understand what goes into this understated classic - other than garlic, and bread.
i found an incredible number of permutations and variations
some recipes used just butter, some used butter and olive oil
some left the garlic raw, some cooked the garlic in butter, and some added garlic powder
some recipes were wrapped in tinfoil and baked, and some were left flat and grilled
i saw recipes using sourdough, ciabatta, seedy bread, baguettes, hot dog rolls, and any other bread that stood still too long
some had paprika, some had cayenne, some had oregano, mustard, hot sauce, parsley, worcester sauce, gochugaru, the list goes on!
and of course some had cheese - but that would make it CHEESYGARLICBREAD which is not what my mind had in mind
with all of these factors in mind, i went to my kitchen to do some testing (and give my husband the best breakfast spread of his life)
i tested:
fats: butter vs butter and evoo
garlic: raw minced garlic vs minced garlic cooked in butter vs minced garlic and garlic powder cooked in butter
form factor: split in half longways and toasted vs cut into rounds and wrapped in foil
spices: no spices vs oregano vs paprika
the results:
in the end, I think garlic bread is less about one perfect formula and more about what mood you’re chasing
do you want the crisp edges and open-face crunch of the “longways” version? or do you want the pillowy, pull-apart comfort of the foil-wrapped rounds? both have their place, and both will make your kitchen smell like happiness
if you want to try my version, here’s the base I landed on:
120g butter, browned for extra depth
4 cloves garlic, gently cooked in the butter
2 tbsp olive oil for gloss and richness
plus a dusting of paprika and oregano if you want to make it sing
spread it thickly, bake until golden, and serve immediately — ideally to someone who will appreciate it at breakfast, no questions asked
and if tomorrow I wake up with the word CHEESYGARLICBREAD in my head… well, you’ll be the first to know
ingredients
1 baguette
120g butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp paprika (optional)
½ tsp dried oregano (optional)
pinch of salt
method
preheat oven to 200°C
in a small pan, melt the butter over medium heat
add the garlic and cook gently for 1–2 minutes, just until fragrant
stir in the olive oil, paprika, oregano, and a pinch of salt
slice the baguette in half longways (for open-face garlic bread) or into rounds (for foil-wrapped, domino’s-style)
spread the garlic butter mixture evenly over the bread
for longways: place cut-side up on a tray and bake 8–10 minutes until golden and crisp
for rounds: wrap in foil and bake 12–15 minutes until soft and steamy
slice and serve hot
