Ingredients
- Cheesy Garlic Bread:
- To serrated edges on a bread knife can pull off the cheesy crust. To prevent this, place the finished garlic bread cheese side down on a cutting board. Slicing through the crust (rather than the cheese) first will keep the cheese in place.
- 5 5 5 cloves garlic, grated
- 8 8 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
- 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoon water
- 1/4 1/4 1/4 teaspoon Table salt
- 1/4 1/4 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1 to 20-inch), (18- to 20-inch), sliced in half horizontally
- 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 cups cheese (shredded Italian blend)
- Spicy Pesto Crispy Garlic Bread:
- to with a soft Italian bread, not a rustic, crusty loaf. Use a rasp grater or the small holes of a box grater to grate the garlic.
- 12 12 1/2 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 4 4 garlic cloves, grated (see note) or minced
- 1/4 1/4 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 1/4 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 1/4 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 3 3 tablespoons basil pesto
- 1/4 1/4 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 12 12 slices 12 (1-inch) slices Italian bread (see note)
- Crispy Garlic Bread:
- 3. in step 3.
- 1 1 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1 1 teaspoon water
- 8 8 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 1/8 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 4—5 to garlic cloves, minced to paste (1 tablespoon)
- 1 1 1 (1-pound) loaf soft Italian bread, halved horizontally
- Goat Cheese Garlic Bread:
- 9 10 9 10 cloves 9 - 10 medium cloves garlic (about the size of a plump cashew nut), skins left on
- 2 2 2 ounces goat cheese, softened
- 6 6 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 2 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 1/4 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1 1 1 loaf Italian bread (high-quality); about 1 pound, football-shaped, halved lengthwise
- Ground Black Pepper
- Herbed Garlic Bread:
- 9 10 9 10 cloves 9 - 10 medium cloves garlic (about the size of a plump cashew nut), skins left on
- 1 1 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves
- 1 1 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
- 1/2 1/2 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 1/2 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves
- 6 6 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 2 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1 1 1 loaf Italian bread (high-quality; about 1 pound, football-shaped), halved lengthwise
- Ground black pepper
Preparation
Step 1
Cheesy Garlic Bread:
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook garlic, 1 tablespoon butter, and water in small nonstick skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until straw colored, 7 to 10 minutes.
2. Mix hot garlic, remaining butter, salt, and pepper in bowl and spread on cut sides of bread. Sandwich bread back together and wrap loaf in foil. Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
3. Carefully unwrap bread and place halves, buttered sides up, on baking sheet. Bake until just beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set oven to broil.
4. Sprinkle bread with cheese. Broil until cheese has melted and bread is crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer bread to cutting board with cheese side facing down. Cut into pieces. Serve.
Spicy Pesto Garlic Bread:
1. MAKE PASTE Adjust oven rack to middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Using fork, beat butter, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, pesto, and cayenne pepper in small bowl until combined. Spread butter mixture evenly over both sides of bread.
2. TOAST BREAD Arrange buttered bread on heated baking sheet and bake until golden brown on fist side, 8 to 10 minutes. Flip and bake until golden brown on second side, about 5 minutes. Serve
Crispy Garlic Bread:
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven 450 degrees. Combine garlic powder and water in medium bowl. Add 4 tablespoons butter, salt, and cayenne to bowl; set aside.
2. Place remaining 4 tablespoons butter in small bowl and microwave, covered, until melted, about 30 seconds. Stir in garlic and continue to microwave, covered, until mixture is bubbling around edges, about 1 minute, stirring halfway through. Transfer garlic-butter mixture to bowl with garlic powder mixture and whisk together until it forms homogenous loose paste. (If mixture melts, set aside until it solidifies before using.)
3. Spread cut sides of loaf evenly with butter mixture. Transfer bread, cut side up, to baking sheet. Bake until butter has melted into surface of bread and bread is hot, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven. Flip bread, cut side down, place second rimmed baking sheet on top and gently press. Return bread to oven, with second baking sheet on top of bread, and continue to bake until cut side of bread is golden brown and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes longer, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Transfer bread to cutting board. Using serrated knife cut each half into 8 slices and serve immediately.
Goat Cheese Garlic Bread:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Meanwhile, toast garlic cloves in small skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until fragrant and color of cloves deepens slightly, about 8 minutes. When cool enough to handle, skin and mince cloves (you should have about 3 tablespoons). Using dinner fork, mash garlic, goat cheese, butter, cheese, and salt in small bowl until thoroughly combined.
2. Spread cut sides of loaf evenly with garlic butter mixture; season to taste with pepper. Transfer loaf halves, buttered side up, onto baking sheet; bake, reversing position of baking sheet in oven from front to back halfway through baking time, until surface of bread is golden brown and toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. Cut each half into 2-inch slices; serve immediately.
Herbed Garlic Bread:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Meanwhile, toast garlic cloves in small skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until fragrant and color of cloves deepens slightly, about 8 minutes. When cool enough to handle, skin and mince cloves (you should have about 3 tablespoons). Using dinner fork, mash garlic, basil, chives, thyme, oregano, butter, cheese, and salt in small bowl until thoroughly combined.
2. Spread cut sides of loaf evenly with garlic butter mixture; season to taste with pepper. Transfer loaf halves, buttered side up, onto baking sheet; bake, reversing position of baking sheet in oven from front to back halfway through baking time, until surface of bread is golden brown and toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Cut each half into 2-inch slices; serve immediately.