How do YOU make garlic bread?

[bethzaring]

I have tried various crazy methods to make garlic bread, just tried using roasted garlic and I would not say it is a winner. I am looking for ideas using fresh garlic. In roasting the garlic, I lost the pungent flavor I love. I don't mind cooking it a bit, just need ideas about how to go about putting garlic to bread. One idea that worked eating wise was to chop garlic and nuke it with butter, smear on bread, toast in sandwich maker, but the garlic bits stuck to the lid and was a mess to clean the sandwich maker.

 

[TATTRAT]

I like to take olive oil, clarified butter, fresh parsley, and crushed garlic, salt and pepper, mix them all and let sit for a day. Then slice a bagguette into 2 inch wide sections, but without cutting all the way through to the bottom, and drizzle the infused oil/butter mix all over, and inbetween the slices. Wrap in foil, and bake till crispy.

 

[jennyema]

This is how I make it:

Let butter soften to room temp. Pre-heat oven to 450

Chop garlic (as much as you want) very fine. Add a bit of kosher salt and mash to a paste with the side of your knife.

Mix garlic paste with butter; add parsley or chives if I have them. Parm cheese if I feel like it, too.

Take baguette and slice, but not all the way through. Spread butter thinly on each slice and lightly on top.

Wrap in foil with edge of foil at top so that it can be opened.

Heat in oven till hot, open top of foil and heat a bit more till crusty. If you want, sprinkle some more parm cheese on top about 1 min before done.

 

[ironchef]

Like the above two methods suggested, you need to infuse the garlic with the butter. I would use Jenny's method of making sort of a garlic compound butter because you'll get more flavor with the butter fat not removed. But, I would also suggest using TATTRAT's method of letting the garlic infuse into the butter overnight to really intensify the flavor. A combination of the two methods may give you the flavor that you're looking for.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

IronChef gives good advice. But have you ever made a simple Bruschetta? It is done by brushing a French or Itallian loaf, which has been split lengthwise, with EVOO, and either toasting over a fire or under a broiler. When the bread is crisp and lightly browned, rub fresh, uncooked garlic cloves over the bread to "grate" the garlic on the rough toasted bread surface. It gives you a wonderfully intense, and full garlic flavor, plus the added flavor bonus of your favorite olive oil.

Today, most people top their Bruschetta with may toppings, too many in my opinion. The simple garlic and olive oil Bruschetta of old was a way of testing the EVOO quality, and so had few adornments. It tastes wonderful and is a great side for many pasta and antipasta dishes.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[BreezyCooking]

I have to admit that my method isn't the "chef's way", but for whatever reason my guests can never get enough of it.

I buy either French baguettes or the wider Italian bread & slice them in 1" segments - but not all the way through. I then slather both sides of each slice with softened butter & sprinkle in granulated garlic, dried oregano or dried "Italian Seasoning", & a dash of crushed red pepper flakes. The breads are then loosely enclosed in foil & baked at 350 for about 10 minutes - then the foil is opened & baked for an additional 5 minutes or until the bread is toasted to taste. Sometimes fresh-grated parmesan or other Italian cheese is added before the final toast.

Like I said - not serious cooking, but boy is it GOOD. And even better - EASY!!!

To be perfectly honest, if I'm making a kick-*** meal, I really don't want to be bothered noodling with the bread - especially when my guests have already told me that my easy-as-heck bread is their favorite!!

 

[SNPiccolo5]

When I make bruschetta, I toast baguette dry, without olive oil. I feel that this way, the bread absorbs more garlic afterwords. Just slice each garlic clove in half and rub the flat surface over the toasted bread, then drizzle with olive oil.

I love bruschetta with a topping of tomato, fresh basil, red onion, salt, pepper, olive oil, and just a little balsamic vinegar. I know it's a lot, but it's mostly tomato and basil. Goodweed's reccomendation is a good one.

-Tim

 

[Angie]

I will roast the garlic (whole clove) in EVOO for 2 hrs at 200*. Then I smash it into a paste and remove the skins. I butter my bread, smear on the garlic paste, add cheese sometimes, and always salt it. Bake it at 350* for about 10 minutes and then broil till brown.

Sometimes I mix the garlic and the butter together before adding it to the bread.

 

[bethzaring]

Thanks all for taking the time to respond, I am off to try several of these suggestions..........

 

[Banana Brain]

I brush the bread in olive oil then oven-roast it then rub it with a clove of fresh garlic.

 

[VeraBlue]

When I make garlic bread, I chop the garlic (to taste) and add it to half a stick of butter and 1/4 cup of olive oil in a microwavable bowl. Put it in the microwave long enough to melt the butter. The amount of butter and oil will depend on how many loaves you are making, or how big the loaf is. Spread this mixture on the bread, to the edges. At this point, simply wrap it in foil and bake for about 25 minutes.

I like to add sliced jersey tomatoes, basil leaves, fresh ground black pepper and grated locateli cheese. Then I wrap it and bake it.

 

[Little Miss J]

I use my mum's recipe -

250g butter, 1 T fresh chives, 1 t dried dill, 1 T fresh parsley, 2 cloves of garlic (i usually add more), 1/4 t dried mixed herbs. Chop it up and mix it together and put it on your bread and cook it.

I had no idea people made this so many different ways!

 

[Ekim]

Dang it! Y'all are making me mad I didn't buy a bagette at the grocery store tonight! I think I have to run back out.

 

[bethzaring]

I've been making dozens of dinner rolls, make the dough in the bread machine and bake them off in the oven, then slicing the rolls in thirds, and "pretending" they are baggettes. This has been working great in my many trials of all these great garlic bread suggestions. I can make mini batches of these various ideas. I have even dusted off the toaster oven for some trials, whod have thunk I would ever use that again??

Oh, and I have also been making fresh ricotta cheese, infusing it with minced fresh garlic and smearing that on my "baggettes".....I am in heaven......

 

[Shaheen]

I let the butter soften and add salt and a mixture of fresh and dry herbs. Then I spread it on French baguettes. Sprinkle it it mozarella. Top it with whatever is available at home- sliced black olives/ chopped jalapenos/ tomatoes in balsamic, etc. Bake it at 200 degree celcius for 10 minutes.

 

[Jikoni]

I use pre-cooked(pre-cuit) baguette. I mix butter, fresh parsley and crushed garlic then spread on the pre-cooked baguette and put in the grill until it's nice and crispy.I love garlic bread.

 

[vagriller]

Here is the simplest way to make garlic bread that I know of. Actually it's more like garlic toast. Toast bread, spread with butter, top with garlic powder or garlic salt. It's not the "chef's" method, but there's nothing faster. I doubt you would want to serve this in a restaurant, but it's worked at my house for years.

 

[Barbara L]

Mix your garlic and softened butter (any of the methods above will work). Spread it generously on both sides of thick slices of French or Italian bread. Pop into the toaster oven or under the broiler. Brown both sides. Watch carefully so that it doesn't over-brown or burn. I love this method because the crusts are nice and crisp, the browned part of the bread is lightly crisp, and the insides of the bread is soft.

Barbara