ROASTED GARLIC GRILLED BREAD
A few years ago garlic bread became so popular at my home town. A frozen version of garlic bread that came packaged and ready to bake or grill. It had a garlic butter cream thing in the middle that melted in amazingly. Delicious. I can’t really complain about it because they are really good. This garlic bread became very popular with barbecues. Since the grill was already on, they would just place it in the grill next to the meat and everthing. The amazing thing about it is that they cook so perfectly, a crisp outside layer and a creamy inside with full on garlic flavor.
Now, if you ask me, the best garlic bread in the whole world is the one my grandma makes. Weird huh? The best food ever is at grandma’s house right? But yes, she makes the garlic bread using freshly baked bread. The one you can buy still warm and soft. She cut that bread into slices but not all the way, still maintaining the shape of the bread. For the garlic flavor, she chopped the garlic into small small pieces, add it to melted butter and some spices. Pour that gorgeous melted butter into the bread letting it go into the slices. Cover it with aluminum foil and into the oven. You can’t imagine how good it is. It comes out soft as butter with a crispier exterior.
What makes this garlic bread special?
With my grandma’s garlic bread in mind, I started making my own. I had been seeing on social media a bunch of recipes using roasted garlic. It looked so good. Well, before I continue, I have to confess that, I love garlic. I could add garlic to all my meals and never get bored. This roasted garlic in particular, caught my attention because it looks like it melts off/ I am determined to use it for everything, sauces, breads, everything.
What we are looking for in this recipe is a crispy exterior and a creamy and soft center full of flavor. I also want to add some chopped parsley in the mix to give it even more flavor. Parsley will also give the bread a bit of color to change things up from the browns and beige color of bread.
Tips for perfect garlic bread:
Garlic: The first thing you have to do is cook the garlic. Without taking apart any cloves, cut off a bit of the top. This cut should show all those beautiful garlic cloves there together. Place that garlic on top of aluminum foil and add a bunch of olive oil to it. Season with some salt and cover it entirely with the aluminum foil. If you are making this at the grill, that little garlic package goes directly to the charcoal. On the other hand, if you are making this in the kitchen, place it into the oven on a baking sheet.
The bread: The cuts you are going to make to the bread are super important. We want that center to be extra tasty but soft as butter. So, make vertical cuts but not all the way through. The last bit on the bottom has to stay attached so that the bread maintains its shape. Take a look at the photos.
Cooking it: If you are grilling the bread, you can wrap it in aluminum foil and place it directly on the charcoal for a couple of minutes. The only thing you need is for the bread to absorb that butter. On the other hand, if you are making it in an oven, wrap it and place it in the oven. The last couple of minutes, open that foil up and toast it a bit.
Equipment:
Bowls: A small or medium bowl for the butter mixture.
Baking sheet: If you are making it in the oven.
Aluminum foil: To wrap the garlic and the bread once its ready to heat up.
Chopping board: for the vegetables and anything that needs slicing or cutting.
Fork: To puree that roasted garlic once it cools down.
Bread knife: To slice the bread.
Microwave, oven or grill
ROASTED GARLIC BREAD
Ingredients
- 2 Soft baguettes
- 1 Garlic head
- 100 gr butter
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 Extra fresh garlic clove
- olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees or turn your grill on. Slice off the top part of your garlic head. Place garlic in aluminum foil and season with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Close the aluminum foil over the garlic and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. If grilling place it between lit charcoal and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Garlic should be toasted but not black
- Once that cools down, squeeze out the garlic cloves into a bowl. Puree them with a fork.
- Add room temperature butter, salt, pepper, parsley and the added garlic clove (chopped). Mix well.
- Cut the bread into slices but not all the way. Let the last part on the bottom to keep the bread's shape.
- Add the butter into those slices and on the top as well. Cover completely.
- Wrap the bread with alimunim foil and place in the oven at 375F. Let it heat up there for 18 minutes before opening the foil for the last 2 minutes of toasting. If grilling, place directly on top of the grill with the meat and others for heating up.
- Serve warm.
