How to make garlic bread – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

Once upon a time, an ex and I used to throw an annual party – a non-chic affair with a recycling bin full of ice and bottles – where the star, and the thing that everyone really came for, was the garlic bread: 10 or 15 loaves of the stuff, always demolished while still dangerously hot from the oven. I believe the original recipe was Nigel Slater’s; this is my tweaked version.

Prep 15 min
Cook 25 min
Makes 1 loaf

1 ciabatta loaf, or baguette – a slightly stale one, ideally
80g room-temperature butter, salted or unsalted
4 garlic cloves
1 small bunch parsley, or another herb of your choice (see step 6)
40g parmesan, or similar hard cheese, finely grated, plus a little extra for topping
A squeeze of lemon juice, to finish
Salt, to taste (if using unsalted butter)

1 Make ahead, if need be

You can prepare this ahead of time (and you should, too, if you want to get the smell of garlic off your hands before the festivities begin) – the day before, or even up to a month in advance (in which case, wrap, freeze and bake straight from frozen, though, if you do so, add five to 10 minutes to the cooking time). In both cases, wrap it well in foil before storing.

2 A note on the bread

While day-old bread is easier to butter, it must still be soft enough to absorb large quantities of butter (anything too dense or crisp will repel it) and robust enough to maintain its structural integrity once soaked. Brioche, for example, is usually too soft and focaccia too oily. Nigel’s baguette is good for big parties, but Ina Garten’s softer ciabatta is my favourite.

3 Slice the bread

Cut deep, thick slits into the loaf – about 2cm apart is ideal – but do not cut right through it. To this end, I find it helpful to put a chopstick on each side of the loaf while cutting it, so the knife is unable to get all the way down to the board.

4 Beat the butter

Put the butter (salted or unsalted, up to you, but remember to season if using the latter) in a bowl, anchor it to a work surface using a damp tea towel, then beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until softened. Alternatively, use electric beaters or the paddle attachment on a food mixer, but it’s not hard by hand.

5 Crush the garlic

Peel and crush the garlic to a paste using a garlic crusher, a pestle and mortar or the flat of a large knife – if you’re sensitive to raw garlic, you may wish to reduce the quantity, but avoid using the jarred ready-chopped sort, or indeed tubes of garlic paste, because they won’t taste right. For alternative flavourings, see step 9.

6 Finely chop the parsley

Trim the dry ends off the parsley stalks (it doesn’t matter if it’s flat-leaf or curly, because it’ll all look green in the end), then wash the rest of the bunch and shake dry. Finely chop the leaves and soft stems. I often use chives instead, or a mixture of finely chopped thyme and rosemary leaves (be a little less generous with the latter, because they have a much stronger flavour).

7 Flavour the butter

Stir the garlic and herbs into the softened butter, then mix in the cheese – any strong hard cheese will do here, or use something milder, if you prefer (mozzarella or medium cheddar, for example), as long as it melts. If catering to strict vegetarians, check the label. Add a squeeze of lemon and, if you’re using unsalted butter, a pinch of salt.

8 Pack into the loaf and bake

Divide the butter between the slits cut into the bread, being careful not to tear them apart – I use my fingers to spread it in – then wrap the loaf in foil and store in the fridge or freezer, depending on how far ahead you’re working. When you’re ready to cook, bake the wrapped loaf at 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7 for about 20 minutes, then unwrap, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake unwrapped for five minutes more (keep an eye on it at this stage, because dryer bread will colour more quickly).

9 Alternative flavourings

Instead of fresh garlic, you may prefer the mellower flavour of roast garlic, or the black variety, or to substitute finely chopped fresh chilli, or jarred chipotle chilli, coriander and a spritz of lime. Crunchy crumbled bacon bits work, too, as do finely chopped semi-dried tomatoes and olives, anchovies or even Marmite. Basically, if it goes well with cheese, it should work here.