Garlic lovers will go wild for this triple garlic bread. It is brushed with garlic oil, rubbed with raw garlic, and smeared with roasted garlic. I was tasked with bringing garlic bread to a dinner party, which put me in a conundrum. I’d never made a garlic bread I was satisfied with, and most of the garlic bread recipes online involve cheese, too little garlic, or outrageous amounts of butter. So I sat down, closed my eyes, and imagined what my ideal garlic bread would be. And this is it- a crisp crostini with layers and layers of garlic flavor, but not so much that you’ll be afraid to breathe near someone.
To make this garlic bread, start by preparing your garlic oil and roasted garlic. You can buy these ingredients, but here is how to make them yourself. For the garlic oil- pour about 1 cup of olive oil into a pot, and heat it over a low flame. Slice 3-5 garlic cloves, and drop them in the oil. Small bubbles should form on the garlic in the oil, but the oil should not boil. If the garlic burns, the oil will taste horrible. Let the garlic lightly simmer until the oil takes on the amount of garlic flavor you desire. Then, strain out all of the garlic pieces, and store the oil in the refrigerator. If you leave the garlic pieces in the oil, you risk botulism!
For the roasted garlic- wrap 3-5 heads of garlic individually with tin foil, and roast them in a 350º F oven. Check them after 20 minutes. When you open the foil, the garlic should have oozed and caramelized somewhat, and it should smell fantastic. If not, keep them roasting. Once they’re done, slice the heads of garlic in half, and scoop out the cloves with a knife.
Get a loaf of white Italian bread, something relatively dense, not a ciabatta. Cut it into 1/4 inch slices, and brush both sides of the slices with the garlic oil. Lay the slices on a baking sheet, and broil them for 1-2 minutes per side until they are toasted and crisp. Watch the bread carefully to make sure it doesn’t catch on fire/burn.
When the bread is toasted, cut a garlic clove in half, and rub it on one side of the bread. Experiment with how much raw garlic flavor you like. Rub one slice with light, medium, and hard pressure to determine your ideal level. Medium pressure was perfect for me.
Next, spread the roasted garlic on the bread. Season the bread with salt, and then sprinkle over some sliced scallions or another herb for color and freshness.
This garlic bread is very flavorful and very garlicky without being overwhelming. Use it to soak up soup, scoop salad, or twirl pasta. Or just munch on snacky slice after slice. I have no doubt that this bread will satisfy the garlic lover in your life (unless they prefer their garlic bread with cheese or butter).
Shopping list:
- Italian bread- 1 loaf
- Olive oil- 1 cup
- Garlic- 4-6 heads
- Scallions
- Salt
There is another way for your readers to make garlic infused oil:
For every cup of olive oil you want to infuse – peel and smack 6 garlic cloves. Place them in the olive oil and let sit from 2-3 hours on your counter, never more than 3 hours because of botulism!!
Once the oil is infused, you can use the cloves for anything else!!! They should not be saved because they are raw. I tend to make infused oil in a larger container, maybe 2 cups at a time on the same day I know I will be using garlic in a specific recipe so I can use the garlic once the oil has completely infused.
Thanks for the tip!!
This looks AMAZING! I can’t wait to make it 🙂 I’ve never done garlic oil before, but I’m sure it’ll be a welcome addition to my kitchen.
Beyond the garlic bread, the garlic oil is a great way to add extra flavor to other things like sauteed veggies or salad dressing!
This looks so good, I think I’d have to make more than one loaf! Yummy!!
I wish I’d made a second loaf the next morning after the first one was gone 🙁
this is a must have with soups
Yes!
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Plan on using this recipe site for almost or all recipes.
Thanks