If you love garlic bread but feel it’s too daunting to make at home, don't be discouraged. Making your own garlic bread is simple and requires minimal ingredients. Here's how you can make a delicious batch of easy homemade garlic bread!
Infuse your kitchen with tantalizing aromas of garlic and butter while avoiding preservatives and additives found in store-bought garlic bread. You won't regret it! Here's how.
🧄 Ingredient Tips
Flour - Use self-rising flour to save a step when making this garlic bread. If you prefer to use all-purpose flour, you'll need to mix baking soda, baking powder, and possibly extra salt into the flour before it's ready to use.
Buttermilk - Here's a trick if you are out of buttermilk. Just add either white vinegar or lemon juice to whole milk. Use a ratio of one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice per cup of milk. Allow the mixture to stand at room temp for 5-10 minutes or until thickened.
Yeast - Active dry yeast is what you want, not the quick-rise version.
Garlic - Use fresh garlic, jarred garlic, or garlic paste instead of using garlic salt or garlic powder. You'll be glad you did once you take a bite!
Butter - Use real butter instead of margarine for the best results.
Herbs - You can use parsley, oregano, basil, or Italian seasoning in this garlic bread recipe.
📝 Step-By-Step Directions
1. In a medium-sized bowl mix dry ingredients together: flour, yeast, and salt.
2. Add buttermilk and 1 tablespoon of butter. Mix everything using a spatula until you form a small ball of dough.
You may need to use a whisk, fork, or a couple of knives to work the butter into the rest of the ingredients.
3. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a warm, damp kitchen towel. Set it aside somewhere warm for about 1 hour. A sunny window on a warm day is fine. If your kitchen is cold, you can heat your oven to 200 degrees, then switch it off. Let the dough rise in the warm oven.
4. While the dough is rising, in a separate bowl, combine the remaining butter, freshly chopped garlic, and parsley.
5. Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a flour-sprinkled surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 16x10-inch rectangle.
6. Transfer the herbed butter mixture onto the dough and use a fork or knife to spread it evenly.
7. Roll the dough into a log.
8. Slice the dough log in half vertically as shown in the picture.
9. Twist the bread dough together as shown in the picture.
10. Coil the rope like a snake, then coil one side of the rope in the opposite direction (see picture above). Top with herbs if desired. Transfer the dough to a medium-sized loaf pan.
11. Bake for 35 minutes at 350F.
Allow the bread to cool before slicing and serving.
❓ FAQ
The best substitute for parsley in this case would be either oregano or Italian seasoning.
Garlic bread and garlic toast are both popular dishes that feature garlic in the ingredients. However, there are some differences between the two. Garlic bread (and rolls) are baked with the garlic and herbs in the dough. Garlic toast generally refers to bread that is already baked, being sliced and toasted with butter and garlic on top.
It depends on how you prepare the garlic bread. Generally speaking, garlic bread is not very healthy since it is made with white flour and butter. Garlic bread can be healthier if you use whole wheat or multi-grain bread instead of white and reduce the fat content. Topping it with healthy ingredients like vegetables and herbs can improve its nutritional value.
🍽️ Serving Tips
This easy homemade garlic bread tastes delicious with an olive oil and herb mixture for dipping.
If you're looking for a main course to serve with it, try this Instant Pot Sausage Soup.
📖 Recipe
Easy Homemade Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon dry yeast
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 tablespoons butter
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 6 tablespoons fresh parsley use less if you're using dried parsley instead of fresh.
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl mix dry ingredients together: flour, yeast, and salt.
- Add buttermilk and 1 tablespoon of butter. Mix everything using a spatula until you form a small ball of dough. You may need to use a whisk, fork, or a couple of knives to work the butter into the rest of the ingredients.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a warm, damp kitchen towel. Set it aside somewhere warm for about 1 hour. A sunny window on a warm day is fine. If your kitchen is cold, you can heat your oven to 200 degrees, then switch it off. Let the dough rise in the warm oven.
- While the dough is rising, in a separate bowl, combine the remaining butter, freshly minced garlic, and parsley.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a flour-sprinkled surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 16x10-inch rectangle.
- Transfer the herbed butter mixture onto the dough and use a fork or knife to spread it evenly.
- Roll the dough into a log.
- Slice the dough log in half vertically as shown in the picture.
- Twist the bread dough together as shown in the picture.
- Coil the rope like a snake, then coil one side of the rope in the opposite direction (see picture in the post). Top with herbs if desired. Transfer the dough to a medium-sized loaf pan.
- Bake for 35 minutes at 350°F.
- Cool before slicing and serving.
