Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe
Back when I still had a lot of time due to pandemic lockdown, I used to bake my own bread from scratch. My favorite focaccia and cheesy garlic pull-apart bread are two things I enjoy making for myself. That was my favorite. Anything with cheese and garlic, I’m already sold. I’m not sure about others' choices, but I think everybody would probably agree if I said that cheese and garlic go well together perfectly.
Then, when everything returns to normal, so does our hectic schedule. I was slowly losing time in the kitchen, and I found myself just buying my own bread at the local bakeshop. But to be honest, it's not that I’m being picky and hard to please, but that doesn’t really satisfy me. Sometimes it lacks the cheesy goodness I’m looking for, or not enough garlic flavor to suit my taste. I know, I’m being way too difficult, but please don’t judge me. What I’m saying is, that it's still best to make your own food according to your preferences, but how can you do that if making bread takes up nearly all of your day?
So here's the deal. I've realized that I don't have to knead my own dough to make cheesy garlic bread at home. All I have to do is buy some ready-made French bread and make my own buttery and garlicky spread to smother my bread. Other than that, you can choose how much cheese you want for that desired cheesy goodness.
What is Cheesy Garlic Bread
Garlic bread is a classic companion to pasta dishes, soups, and stews, especially tomato-based dishes. The classic one is normally just plain garlic and butter. Sometimes they use olive oil, depending on their taste. But imagine taking your classic garlic bread a notch higher and making it extra cheesy and buttery, oozing with custard-like creamy melted cheese and, of course, the aromatic garlic and butter combo. Well, that’s something I wouldn’t want to miss.
So before I run out of words to say, let’s now head on to our recipe below.
How to Make Cheesy Garlic Bread
Preheat the oven to 350°F for 10 minutes while preparing the bread.
Cut the loaf in half, lengthwise and lay it flat on a baking tray.
In a separate bowl, combine softened butter, garlic, gochujang, and parsley together. Mix it all together until well combined.
Using a spatula or spoon, spread the butter mixture over the two bread halves.
Place the bread on a heat-proof baking pan and bake the bread at 350°F (175°C) in the oven for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and top the bread with grated mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Return the bread to the oven and place it on the highest rack for broiling.
Broil on high for 2-3 minutes until the bread starts toasting and the cheese melts.
Remove from the oven, and let it cool before slicing. Transfer the bread from the pan to a chopping board and slice it into 1-inch thick slices using a bread knife.
Serve immediately and enjoy with some pasta or soup of your choice.
Tools
- You will need an oven and an oven tray that can withstand high heat in order to bake and broil your bread.
- In addition, slicing the bread with a bread knife is advised. This will prevent you from deforming its shape due to too much pressure on handling it.
- A chopping board and mixing bowls are also needed for this recipe.
Notes
- Though garlic and cheese are already a good combo with the taste of butter, it wouldn’t hurt if you added a dash or pinch of dried basil or oregano. This will add a more sophisticated and upscale taste to your cheesy garlic bread.
- If you are not a fan of spicy food, you can remove the gochujang from the recipe. However, if you love it hot, you can intensify the flavor by adding a pinch of red chili pepper flakes and finely chopped jalapenos. Alternatively, you can also add a few drizzles of Sriracha on top of your baked cheesy garlic bread.
- This dish's success and flavor will still largely depend on the quality and type of cheese you use. Choosing mozzarella alone will give that gooey texture, but it will not be as salty as a regular cheddar and as a result, it will be bland in taste.
- At this point, it is always a good choice to combine mozzarella with something more intense in flavor, like sharp cheddar.
- When choosing bread for this recipe, it’s okay to use other types of bread if French bread is not available. Just make sure to pick the ones that are firm enough and will definitely hold their shape even after baking and broiling.