twice-baked garlic bread
may 28, 2024
i have learned recently that the queer community in multiple places has made it a thing to have low-key gatherings dedicated to hanging out and eating garlic bread in public parks. i won't go too "recipe blog search engine optimization" on you, but i love this idea because it reminds me of some of my earliest memories of gathering with the trans community local to me. before the group dissolved, we'd typically go out to village inn after our monthly meetings. there was something weirdly comforting and fun about being in such a large group of typically visibly and openly trans people in such a milquetoast whitebread american establishment. we'd have a great time and make tons of jokes and have excellent discussions over, like, just ok food. this group was also where i met my husband, so i think my memories of these days are especially fond.
so anyway, here's my recipe for garlic bread. i make this at home all the time and the recipe varies slightly depending on what cheese or bread i've got available, but, look. it's garlic bread. it's not that complicated. this isn't gourmet by any means, but it's damn good.
you'll need:
- bread - i recommend springing for a chewy bread, like sourdough or ciabatta. the bread pictured in this recipe is the "artisan rolls" from costco, and this turned out great. the best bread i've used is one from a local bakery that includes cheddar cheese shreds in a sourdough-type dough, which is pricey but really excellent. you can absolutely use standard sandwich bread if you want, but it doesn't hold up quite as well compared to something chewier.
- butter - make sure it's soft enough to spread. i just use a thing of butter mixed with canola oil.
- garlic powder - i don't like the texture of real garlic, sorry.
- dried oregano - in the past i have used an italian seasoning blend. i do not think you need all the extra shit. oregano is fine.
- dubious parmesan - you know, the powdery stuff from a cylindrical container.
- cheese - typically i use pre-shredded, whole-milk mozzarella. this does have additives to keep the shreds from clumping together, which no doubt impart a slightly different texture/flavor, but i am lazy. if you want to put in the extra effort, you can absolutely shred it yourself. you can also use multiple types of cheese, e.g. romano, real parmesan, whatever.
steps
1. set your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. let it get hot.
2. prepare your baking sheet. i prefer to line mine with aluminum foil for easier serving and cleanup.
3. slice your bread and/or rolls if you need to. spread a good amount of butter on the tops of each piece, leaving no part of your gluteny canvas unbuttered. for these rolls, i used more butter than usual due to the thickness of the bread.
4. sprinkle a hearty amount of garlic powder on each piece. sprinkle dried oregano to taste. arrange the slices on your baking sheet. here's how mine looks before going into the oven:
5. bake for 5-7 minutes depending on how crunchy you want the bread to be. this step is important because it allows the butter to melt into the bread and toasts everything up to make sure it doesn't get soggy. depending on how long you let it bake, your powdered garlic might get kind of crispy, which i think is pretty great.
6. remove your bread from the oven. sprinkle your dubious parmesan onto the tops. i have found that this step is integral for the flavor - it just adds a certain saltiness and pungency that straight mozzarella lacks.
7. add your shredded cheese to taste. this recipe is written assuming you like cheese. the first image below shows the bread with just the parmesan, and the second image shows how much cheese i typically add.
8. bake again until your cheese gets good and melty. every oven is different, but it typically takes mine about 7-9 minutes.
9. once your cheese has melted completely, turn off the baking part of your oven and turn on the broiler (or grille). do not leave your bread unattended. keep a close eye on it and watch for the cheese to bubble up and develop spots. this typically takes my oven just about 2-3 minutes. but seriously, don't set a timer and forget about it! there is a very short timespan between cheese getting nicely spotted and getting burnt to carbon.
10. take the bread out just a bit before you're satisfied with how spotty they are. they'll continue cooking even after being removed as they cool down, and sometimes waiting too long might make them a little too burnt for your preference. allow to cool for like five minutes? and then devour.
this is less of a recipe and more of a guide, so if you have a particular preference for crispier bread, you can do the first bake for longer. you can also skip the cheese entirely. my method came about from minor experimentation and adjustments here and there until i felt pretty satisfied with the results. for me, the most important part is to bake it twice; otherwise, i think the cheese has a tendency to feel soggy and greasy rather than pleasantly gooey. play around and if you have any insightful experiences or suggestions, i'd be happy to hear about them!