The Best Garlic Bread

Garlic bread is something a lot of people don’t need a recipe for. Either because they just buy the frozen kind, or sprinkle some garlic salt on toast. I’m not judging — I’ve never had garlic bread that I didn’t like.

But, there’s garlic flavored bread, and then there’s the kind made with actual garlic. It makes a difference, and once you make this, you’ll see what I’m talking about.

This is not hard. It’s actually pretty easy, and can be made in a few minutes while your gnocchi is cooking. It’s got the usual suspects — garlic, butter, and parsley, but also has a few secrets. For one thing, the butter is good quality butter. I like Kerry Gold salted, but your favorite cultured butter will work. Or even just run of the mill butter if that’s all you have. Just make sure it’s butter.

Next, I add lemon zest to my butter. It just compliments the garlic and parsley well — have you have had something made with lemon and garlic and parsley that wasn’t delicious.  The garlic is grated using a microplane instead of just chopped, as this way the garlic is permeated throughout the butter.  If I have finely grated Parmesan, I’ll add it, but usually I make this without.

Finally, this should be surprising to no one, but you want to really slather your bread with butter. When you toast it, that butter will sink into the bread, making it buttery all throughout. Speaking of bread — a nice thick sliced Italian or sourdough loaf is ideal here. Not just run of the mill white bread that’s made with sugar, and definitely not thin sliced. You’ll thank me later.

At the end, a nice sprinkling of coarse salt is perfect. My favorite is this one.