How To Make Long Loaf Bread At Home
My family’s homemade long loaf bread is soft and absorbent with a little chewiness and light crust that’s not too hard and crunchy. It will not break your teeth nor you won’t start picking your mouth. A homemade bread that can stand any filling or toppings that you desire to eat and works well for tearing, dipping, and mopping any of your favorite sauce and soup.
It’s been a while I have been making this bread and it gets better as we spend most of our free time at home. This bread reminds me of my whole ordeal when I was a housekeeper & cook in Hongkong for a French family who can’t live without bread. Of course, my lack of skills in baking is under so much pressure. The very first bread I made came out as a hard rock French bread. Nobody dared to slice it because they feared that the bread knife will jump into their hands. I guess a hammer was needed to do the job. But, as Julia Child writes in “My life in France“, “No one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.”
This loaf bread is popularly known as French bread on the internet and even at the grocery store. But what I learned then, a French bread only uses flour, water, yeast, and salt, and I have to admit it comes with a complicated technique to get that crispy hard crust and pillowy texture such as baguette or boulle. The reason I’m not calling these beauties French bread is because of a little bit of fat added, making it the best tender and light-crusted bread ever.
Can U Put Garlic Bread In The Fridge
Garlic Bread is best stored at room temperature no need to refrigerate. In fact, refrigeration is not recommended, as the bread can dry out quickly and become crusty and even stale. If you need to store the bread for an extended period of time, then freeze instead of refrigerate to preserve its integrity.
Why Roast The Garlic
The killer question. Yes, it takes a little extra time, but its totally worth it. When you roast garlic low and slow in the oven it turns sweet and sticky. It completely takes the pungency out of the garlic and actually changes the flavour quite considerably. Roasted garlic bread is just as flavoursome as classic garlic bread, but without being too up in your face garlicy, if you get my flow
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How To Bake Garlic Bread
Buttery bread seasoned with garlic and toasted in the oven is a delicious option for nearly any meal. Garlic bread is commonly served with pasta, but it also complements meat and potatoes, dinner salads or soups. A closely supervised baking period is key to avoid overcooking, which results in a tough crust that is too crunchy. Homemade garlic bread often uses a loaf of Italian bread as the base, but any crusty bread works.
Cut the loaf of crusty bread in half horizontally so you have 2 long, thin halves. Use a serrated knife with a sawing action to cut through the bread without squashing it.
Peel 3 cloves of garlic. Smash the cloves with the side of a knife. Chop the garlic if you still have large chunks.
Stir together ½ cup softened butter, the mashed garlic, 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, ¼ tsp. dried rosemary, ¼ tsp. dried thyme and 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese. Spread the butter mixture over both cut sides of the bread. Place the bread halves with the buttered side facing up on a baking sheet.
Bake the garlic bread at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for eight to 10 minutes. Check the bread after eight minutes to look for melted butter and slightly browned edges on the bread. Bake the bread for longer if it isn’t as brown as you want. Check the bread every two minutes so it doesn’t overcook.
Allow the garlic bread to cool for one to two minutes before cutting it into slices to serve.
How To Cook Perfect Garlic Bread
“Anyone who says they don’t like garlic bread must be fibbing” declare the authors of retro recipe bible The Prawn Cocktail Years and, as usual, I’m in complete agreement. Hot and crisp from the oven, sodden with rich, punchy butter, it’s the pleasure that never, ever palls. Even the plastic-wrapped supermarket version, pallid yet powerful, has its tawdry charms: it seems garlic butter can do no wrong.
That said, not all members of the pungent pantheon are created equal: Nigel Slater’s quite outrageously good parmesan garlic bread has been closest to my heart for some many years now and has sustained many, many house parties over the years: a burnt tongue being apparently a small price to pay for seizing the first slice from the steaming foil, especially after a few drinks but could there be something even better lurking quietly out there in a pool of delicious grease? The Pandora’s box of possibility finally opened, I can’t stop until I’m satisfied I’ve tasted the best garlic bread has to offer me.
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How To Make Garlic Bread With A Soft Center And Crispy Edges
We like our garlic bread to have a soft, warm, and buttery center surrounded by crispy edges. To get this result, we follow the following steps:
Can You Buy Chopped Garlic
Many stores also carry cloves that have already been peeled, which are also convenient but dont last long. Chopped garlic, minced garlic, and crushed garlic all distribute flavor in different ways. Some recipes, like Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic, dont want you chopping or mincing that garlic at all.
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Tips For Making Homemade Bread
While baking bread is a more precise affair than any other form of cooking, it is not mind-boggling as you think maybe.
1. Flour: There are reasons why all recipes about bread require bread flour and it is a good idea to understand Why? All flour contains protein and this protein correspond to how much gluten and gluten give structure and its characteristic chew to any baked goods. Bakers usually prefer bread flour for all yeast baking that requires more body and sturdiness such as bread, thus the name! Bread flour contains an average of 12-14% protein depending on the brand. Since I live here in Canada, I use all-purpose flour for any recipes that require bread flour. Canadian all-purpose flour contains 13.3% protein which is high enough for structure while in theUS, Bread flour contains an average of 13-14% of protein and their all-purpose flour has a standardized 9% to 11% protein content.
2. Yeast: I used to have a stash of two different types of yeast such Active dry yeast and instant dry yeast. Yeast in general makes dough rise and yeast thrive at a warm temperature which is why warm liquid is added to the dough.
The whole reason behind the method of proofing your yeast is to prove that your yeast is alive before use. Unless you go to the store with a great turnover knowing they replace their stocks of yeast and the expiration is not close to its date, then maybe you can scape the proving method – but are you brave to take the risk?
Fresh Garlic Is Essential
Bread aside, I only have one other rule: please use real garlic. As much as I will rip into Dominos and Pizza Hut garlic bread with enthusiasm, theres no denying that it has an element of sourness to it which is probably due to using jarred garlic because thats the main difference I notice between fresh and jarred garlic. From the preservatives, I expect.
Hence why homemade will always be so much better than Dominos. Because the garlic is real and fresh!!
Homemade Garlic Bread.
Completely, utterly, ridiculously, insanely, cant-stop-eating-it delicious.
Put a juicy, perfectly cooked steak and Garlic Bread in front of me, and Id choose the Garlic Bread every time, any day and twice on Sunday.
These photos are killing me. Gotta stop looking at them! Nagi x
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What Does Fat Do To Bread
Fat acts as a tenderizer in bread. It reduces toughness for a more tender and a more delicate, crispier exterior. According to the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry 1 “In bread making – fat provides flavor but more importantly lubricates the dough. This helps to retain the gases released during baking thus ensuring a well-risen loaf will have a soft crumb and will stay fresh longer.”
What Herb Goes Well With Garlic Bread
With regards to herbs I like to keep it classic with parsley. Nice and fresh, not too overpowering. Parsley is certainly the most mainstream choice, other recipes dont include any herbs at all.
How to make roasted garlic butter : Mash roasted garlic into a pinch of salt to break up any hard bits , add unsalted butter, parsley, black pepper and olive oil , combine until smooth .
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How To Cook Garlic Bread In Foil Bag
Preheat your oven to 350F, put your garlic bread in foil bag on the rack or a baking tray. Bake it for 15 minutes and that is it. Be careful when taking it out of the bag as it will be hot with captured steam inside.
If you want to take your garlic bread to a whole new level, here is a video with a couple of tips:
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Ww Friendly Garlic Bread
I used light butter for this since it is already softened and can be easily scooped up with a tablespoon measure. To make a WW friendly piece of garlic bread, use I Cant Believe Its Not Butter Spray and sprinkle the bread with some garlic salt or seasoning. The Butter spray is 0 points for 20 sprays. Will bring the bread down to 4 points per slice.
I still included the points for the light butter down below in the recipe.
How To Make Garlic Bread:
- Preheat oven and cut bread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut french bread loaf in half horizontally.
- Make garlic butter mixture: In a small mixing bowl stir together butter, garlic, parsley, basil, oregano and pepper.
- Spread butter mixture over bread, place on baking sheet: spread garlic butter mixture evenly over both bread halves. Place bread on baking sheet if you havent already.
- Bake: Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes.
- Broil: Move oven rack closer to broiler. Let bread broil about 45 seconds to 3 minutes until golden brown. Keep an eye on it, it can brown quickly.
- Slice: Cut into slices and serve warm. Season with a pinch of salt if needed.
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How To Store Roasted Garlic Bread
Make ahead: its easy to prepare the roasted garlic butter mixture in advance and store it in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month. Then, when ready, heat it until lightly melted and brush over your bread of choice, then roast.
You can also freeze the basted but unbaked bread. To do so, lay the bread on a tray making sure no pieces are touching. Freeze until solid, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in a Ziplock bag, if possible for up to 3 months. You can then bake the bread from frozen. Adding a few minutes to the baking time.
Store: roasted garlic bread is best enjoyed fresh while warm. However, you can store any leftovers wrapped in foil at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Freeze: I prefer to freeze the garlic bread pre-baking, so its fresh when eating. However, you can also freeze the roasted garlic bread after baking. Thaw before reheating
Reheat: place the thawed bread back in the oven at 350ºF/175ºC and bake until just warmed through. Dont leave it too long, or it will become overly crispy/burnt. You could optionally sprinkle it with a bit of water before baking for slightly softer results .
Can This Be Done In Advance
Yup! If youre concerned about time you can always roast the garlic ahead of time.
I do have a full post dedicated to Roasted Garlic, but for now
How to roast garlic : Slice the tips off 2 small garlic bulbs , place on top of 2 sheets of foil and drizzle with olive oil , wrap , place in a baking tin and roast , drown in the gorgeous sweet smell of caramelized garlic .
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How Do You Prepare Elephant Garlic For Planting
Plant each clove with its pointed end up around 4 to 6 inches deep, spacing the cloves roughly 8 to 12 inches apart to allow some air flow in between the plants. Gently press down the soil over the cloves, and water it lightly. Elephant garlic will send up flower stalks, or scapes, just like regular garlic.
Why Is My Garlic Bread Bitter
Garlic gets its flavor from diallyl disulfide, which is a natural oil that turns bitter when exposed to the air. The finer the pieces of garlic, the more oil is released, so a whole clove can sit for longer than pressed garlic before turning bitter. When garlic is overcooked, it turns bitter.
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Expert Tips And Tricks For The Perfect Homemade Garlic Bread Every Time
- Use fresh garlic when baking garlic bread. It really adds the best flavor and since you mince it, it comes out with a roasted taste thats unbeatable.
- You can use the stuff from your spice rack. If youre in a pinch and are out of fresh garlic and parsley, you can use garlic powder and dried parsley.
- You can use salted or unsalted butter for this. Its up to you if youre prefer it saltier though all that garlic will add plenty of flavor to make up for it.
Can I Use Regular Garlic
If after all this I cant convince you to use roasted garlic, you can indeed use regular garlic. Around 1 tsp minced garlic should suffice.
If youre looking for more garlic bread recipes definitely check out my Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread and Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread!
If youre after more roasted garlic recipes then check out these beauties too:
Tips For The Best Garlic Bread Recipe
- Use a large, soft loaf of Italian or French bread. If you prefer, you can make garlic toast with thick slices of crusty bread, spread both sides of each slice with the garlic butter, and toast in the oven flipping halfway through.
- Use a microplane to grate the garlic cloves . This helps evenly distribute the garlic throughout the spread so that you don’t bite into a large chunk of garlic on your toast.
- Herbs: The parsley here is optional. If you don’t have fresh parsley, substitute with 1 teaspoon of dried parsley flakes, or omit the parsley altogether. You can also try adding other herbs that you enjoy, such as thyme, oregano, chives, or basil.
- Cheese: top the buttered garlic bread with grated Parmesan or cheddar cheeses before toasting.
- Garlic Powder: if you don’t have fresh cloves of garlic, substitute with about ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Soft or Crunchy: This recipe yields bread that’s soft and chewy on the inside, but toasted and crisp on the edges. If you prefer soft garlic bread, wrap the loaf in foil before baking.