The Graduate's Kitchen ManualGarlic Bread
You could serve plain bread and there is definitely a time and place for that, but to accompany a pasta dinner it is definitely worth a little extra effort to make garlic bread. You can do the preparation ahead of time so all you have to do later is remember to pop it in the oven and take it out.
First you need to make a decision on what kind of bread to use. You’ll often find garlic bread is made from an Italian style loaf with a soft crust and spongy interior. I prefer a bit of crunch and resistance and usually opt for a French style bread with a crispy crust and chewy interior.
You can also use olive oil instead of butter, and some people will insist that is the only way to make this properly. If you decide to go with the oil, you may want to just pour some directly into each cut of the bread and then add the garlic separately.
FOR ONE LOAF
Ingredients:
A loaf of Italian or French bread, about 16 ounces
6 tablespoons (¾ of a stick) of butter
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoon of minced fresh parsley, optional
Aluminum foil
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Instructions:
▪ Let the butter soften at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350° if you are going to be cooking the garlic bread right away. Set out a piece of aluminum foil large enough to enclose the bread. If the bread is too wide for the width of the foil to cover it, plan on using two pieces.
▪ When the butter is soft enough to be malleable add the garlic and parsley, and use a fork to combine all the ingredients so they are evenly distributed throughout.
▪ Set the bread on the aluminum foil and cut slices about 1½ inches apart across the width of the bread, but do not cut all the way through to the bottom.
▪ Use a regular table knife to spread a clump of the seasoned butter onto the surface of the bread within each cut.
▪ Wrap the bread in the foil, using a second piece if necessary to make sure the bread is entirely enclosed.
▪ Place the bread in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, and get ready to devour it.