Homemade Garlic Bread

This matches the soft, steamy, golden loaf in your photo — a soft white bread loaf sliced and loaded with garlicky herb butter.

Ingredients (1 loaf)

For the bread (use a store-bought soft white loaf or make your own):

• 1 soft white sandwich loaf (about 1 lb / 450 g), preferably day-old or slightly stale for easier slicing

Garlic Butter

• ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 4–6 large garlic cloves, finely minced or grated (or 1–1½ Tbsp garlic paste)
• 2–3 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (or 1–2 tsp dried)
• ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• Optional: 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan, ½ tsp Italian seasoning, or a pinch of red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven
   Heat to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment for easy cleanup.
2. Make the garlic butter
   In a small bowl, mix the softened butter, minced garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and any optional additions until well combined.
3. Prepare the loaf
   Place the loaf on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, make diagonal slices about ¾–1 inch apart, cutting almost all the way through but leaving the bottom crust intact so the loaf stays together (pull-apart style).
   Alternatively, fully slice the loaf into individual pieces if you prefer separate slices.
4. Fill with garlic butter
   Gently open each cut and spread a generous amount of garlic butter inside. Also spread some over the top of the loaf. Make sure the garlic and herbs are distributed evenly.
5. Bake
   Wrap the loaf loosely in foil (or place on the baking sheet and tent with foil).
   Bake for 10–15 minutes.
   Open the foil, brush or spread any remaining butter on top, and bake uncovered for another 5–8 minutes until the top is golden and the butter is bubbling.
   For extra crispiness, broil for 1–2 minutes at the end (watch closely).
6. Serve
   Let it rest 2–3 minutes, then pull apart or slice fully. Serve hot while steamy.

Quick Tips

• For maximum garlic flavor, let the butter sit for 10–15 minutes after mixing so the garlic infuses.
• Fresh garlic tastes best, but roasted garlic gives a milder, sweeter flavor.
• If starting from scratch, bake a soft white sandwich loaf first, cool it completely, then proceed with the garlic butter steps.
• Leftovers reheat well wrapped in foil at 350°F for 8–10 minutes.

This produces the exact soft, herb-flecked, steaming garlic bread shown in the photo. Enjoy!