My homemade garlic bread is golden and crispy with plenty of garlic butter. I love that slightly salty, warm buttery taste! You can make it with ciabatta, baguettes, or even thick slices of crusty sourdough. Garlic bread is a must-have side dish for pasta!
“Really good taste and nice that the garlic can be more or less, we like more! Much better than shop bought. You have an amazing photographer, the food always looks delicious and “real.””
– Gwen
Nicky’s Notes
Crispy edges, a soft tender center and a generous layer of salty garlic butter — this is the kind of garlic bread that’s hard to stop eating. It’s quick to make, comforting, and versatile depending on the bread you use.
You can make the garlic butter in advance and keep it in the fridge so you can pull together garlic bread in minutes to serve with pasta, soup or a simple salad.
If your bread is a little stale, revive it by lightly spraying or sprinkling with water, then continue with the recipe — it will crisp up nicely in the oven.
Table of Contents
- Nicky’s Notes
- 📋 Ingredients for Garlic Bread
- 🧈 Garlic Bread Spread
- 🧑🍳 Abbreviated Recipe
- 🧑🍳Pro Tips
- 🍝 What to serve it with
- 🥣 Ingredient swaps
- 📺 Watch how to make it
- Garlic Bread Recipe Recipe
- 🥖 More bread-based recipes
📋 Ingredients for Garlic Bread
***Full recipe with detailed quantities in the recipe card below***
- 1 large ciabatta loaf
- Unsalted butter — very soft for easy spreading. If you use salted butter, reduce the added salt by half.
- Salt and garlic for flavour.
- Dried parsley for colour; fresh parsley can be sprinkled on after baking if you prefer.
🧈 Garlic Bread Spread
A simple mix: 1/2 cup (120 g) soft unsalted butter, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp dried parsley. Make sure the dried parsley is fresh enough to still have green flecks.
🧑🍳 Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***
- Slice the ciabatta lengthwise and place cut-side up on a baking tray.
- Mix the butter, salt, garlic and dried parsley, then spread generously over the cut surface.
- Bake at 175°C/350°F (fan) for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the butter has melted into the bread.
- Slice and, if you like, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley before serving.
🧑🍳Pro Tips
- Use unsalted butter so you can control the seasoning. If you use salted butter, cut back on the added salt.
- Butter should be very soft but not melted for easy, even spreading.
- Make the garlic butter ahead: it keeps covered in the fridge for up to a week. Bring it to room temperature before spreading so it’s easy to use.
🍝 What to serve it with
Garlic bread pairs perfectly with pasta and many other dishes. We love it with:
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Chicken Carbonara
- Homemade Lasagne
- Tuscan-style chicken soup for dipping
- Vegetarian pasta bake
- Chicken & bacon pasta bake
- Alfredo pasta bake
- A fresh Caprese salad
🥣 Ingredient swaps
- Swap parsley for dried rosemary, basil or oregano for a different herb note.
- Sprinkle grated cheddar, parmesan or mozzarella for cheesy garlic bread.
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Garlic Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large ciabatta loaf weighing about 225 g (see note for alternatives)
- 120 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter very soft
- 1 tsp kosher salt or other fine salt
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F (fan).
-
Slice the ciabatta in half lengthways and place it cut-side up on a baking tray.
-
In a bowl, combine the butter, salt, minced garlic and dried parsley until evenly mixed.
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Spread the butter mixture generously over the cut side of the ciabatta. If using sliced bread, spread on one side so the buttered side faces up on the tray.
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Bake for 10–12 minutes until the edges are golden and the butter has melted into the bread.
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Remove from the oven, slice into portions (this recipe yields about 12 pieces) and sprinkle with fresh parsley if using. Serve warm.
Notes
Note 1: Ciabatta swaps
Use a baguette, French bread or thick slices of crusty sourdough or tiger bread if you prefer — all work well with this spread.
Make ahead tip
Prepare the garlic butter ahead and store it covered in the fridge for up to a week. Allow it to soften for a couple of hours before using.
Nutritional info is approximate and is per slice (this recipe makes 12 slices)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This garlic bread recipe was first published Sept 2020. Updated since with improvements and for housekeeping reasons.
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