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There’s a very specific kind of hush that falls over an American kitchen when garlic hits warm butter, everyone suddenly “just happens” to wander in. This cheesy garlic bread recipe is my go-to when I want steakhouse-level swagger without leaving the house, golden edges, a soft, buttery center, and that mozzarella pull that makes people grin.
It’s built for pasta nights, game-day snacking, and last-minute hosting, and it’s designed to dodge the one tragedy garlic bread can’t recover from, a soggy middle with bland crust.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Steakhouse depth at home: In my kitchen, the “Double-Garlic” compound bone marrow butter trick adds a deep, savory note that regular garlic butter just cannot touch.
Two kinds of garlic, one big payoff: Roasted garlic brings sweetness, fresh minced cloves bring bite, and together they taste layered instead of one-note.
Texture that behaves: Using the right loaf, like a sturdy Ciabatta or wide Italian Loaf, helps you chase that crisp Maillard Reaction edge without turning the inside sad and wet.
Ingredients and Substitutions
These are simple grocery-store staples, but each one does a job, butter to soak, garlic to perfume, and mozzarella to blanket everything in a gooey crown.
Ingredients
- 1 Bread loaf approx 30cm long
- 100g Unsalted butter
- 0.5 tsp Salt
- 3 Garlic cloves minced
- 250g Mozzarella cheese grated
- Parsley for sprinkling
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
The bread: A flatter loaf like Ciabatta, French Bread, or a wide Italian loaf gives you more surface area for butter and cheese, and a denser crumb that won’t collapse.
Mozzarella: If you want the best melt and stretch, grate a block yourself, pre-shredded bags often melt a little chalky because of anti-caking starch.
Unsalted butter: I stick with Unsalted Butter so the salt stays under my control, especially once cheese enters the chat.
“Double-Garlic” compound bone marrow butter: The outline twist is to stir a small spoonful of roasted bone marrow or beef tallow into the melted butter, plus a touch of roasted garlic paste, it turns the flavor from “garlic bread” into “steakhouse basket.”
Parmigiano-Reggiano: For extra punch, a little finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano mixed into the mozzarella adds nutty saltiness without ruining the cheese pull.
How to make cheesy garlic bread recipe
Prep the oven and the loaf
- Heat your oven to 160°C (320°F). You want a gentle start so the bread toasts without scorching the garlic aroma.
- Slice the bread in half horizontally, like opening a book. Aim for two even “rafts” so they toast at the same pace.
Mix the garlic butter and soak the bread
- Stir the butter with the minced garlic and salt. If the butter is not fully liquid, warm it just enough so it pours easily and looks glossy.
- Drizzle the garlic butter all over the cut sides. Use a brush or the back of a spoon to push butter right to the edges, that’s the difference between flavorful crust and dry, burnt corners.
Bake, then melt the cheese
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the edges feel crisp and smell deeply buttery. You should see the surface look a little toasted and the crumb drinking in the fat.
- Turn the oven up to 200°C (390°F), then cover the bread generously with the mozzarella.
- Bake 7 to 10 minutes, watching for bubbling pockets and light golden spots. The cheese should look molten and stretchy, not stiff.
- Finish with parsley, slice into hearty pieces, and serve while everything is still gloriously gooey.
The Secrets to a Professional Melt
Bread science matters: A tighter crumb holds butter where you want it, inside the bread, not pooled on the pan, and the idea that crumb density affects butter retention is backed by baking research. In practice, that means a wide Italian loaf beats a super-airy baguette for this job.
Air fryer option for small batches: For a few pieces, 350°F for 5 to 8 minutes is usually the sweet spot, and I add the cheese near the end so it bubbles without drying the bread.
Scaling for parties: When I’m doing five loaves or more, I line up halves on sheet pans, butter them assembly-line style, bake the first stage together, then cheese them all at once. A second sheet-pan side like cheesy ranch potatoes fits right in with the same oven rhythm.
Pro Tips & Troubleshooting
Pro Tips
- Melted butter soaks deeper than softened, so every bite tastes seasoned.
- Foil for the first 15 minutes gives a softer, pull-apart interior.
- A tiny pinch of paprika adds gentle warmth and better color.
- Freshly grated mozzarella melts smoother than pre-shredded bags.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Stepping away during the final hot stage, cheese can brown fast.
- Using bottled minced garlic, it can taste sharp and metallic.
- Skipping the edges with butter, dry crust is the usual result.
Serving & Storage
Serving Ideas
I love this next to spaghetti bolognese or beef lasagna, because the bread catches every bit of sauce. A lighter plate like pasta primavera also balances the richness when you want something fresher.
For cozy soup nights, this is a perfect dunker for creamy tomato, and a little warm marinara on the side makes it feel like an appetizer spread. If you’re hosting, the same slices disappear fast beside jalapeno popper dip, the crunchy edges were made for scooping.
It also plays beautifully with baked mains, and eggplant parmesan turns it into a full Italian-American comfort dinner.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
If you’re making garlic butter ahead, keep it refrigerated promptly, especially if you’ve added roasted garlic or any fat like tallow. Food-safety guidance that helps prevent botulism growth is the reason I never leave garlic-butter mixtures sitting at room temperature.
For make-ahead, butter the bread, wrap tightly in foil, then refrigerate up to 24 hours. For longer storage, freeze the foil-wrapped loaf up to 3 months, and bake straight from frozen, adding 5 to 10 minutes to the initial 160°C (320°F) stage.
To reheat leftovers, skip the microwave if you want crisp edges. I rewarm on a tray in the oven until the cheese relaxes again and the crust re-crisps.
Bringing the Steakhouse Home
The whole magic is that double hit of garlic plus that bone marrow butter style richness, it makes a simple loaf taste like it came with a white tablecloth. Once you nail the two-stage bake, you’ll start using this method on everything from French Bread to a sturdy Italian Loaf.
If you feel like riffing, a little Parmigiano-Reggiano or a pesto swipe under the cheese turns it into your signature.
The Ultimate Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Pastry brush
- Bread knife
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Bread loaf approx 30cm long
- 100 g Unsalted butter
- 0.5 tsp Salt
- 3 Garlic cloves minced
- 250 g Mozzarella cheese grated
- Parsley for sprinkling
Instructions
Prep the oven and the loaf
- Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F). A gentle start ensures the bread toasts perfectly without scorching the delicate garlic aroma.
- Slice the bread loaf in half horizontally, similar to opening a book. Try to create two even halves so they toast at the same rate.
Mix the garlic butter and soak the bread
- In a small bowl, stir together the butter, minced garlic, and salt. If the butter is firm, warm it slightly until it is glossy and pours easily.
- Drizzle the garlic butter mixture over the cut sides of the bread. Use a brush or the back of a spoon to spread it all the way to the edges to prevent dry corners.
Bake, then melt the cheese
- Place the buttered bread in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are crisp and the center has absorbed the butter.
- Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (390°F) and cover the bread generously with the grated mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. Watch closely for bubbling pockets and light golden spots on the cheese.
- Finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley, slice into hearty pieces, and serve immediately while the cheese is gooey.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I prevent my garlic bread from becoming soggy?
Can I make this ahead of time?
Which cheese provides the best cheese pull?
Fresh garlic vs. Garlic powder: which is better?
