This Sourdough Garlic Bread is loaded with garlic and tangy sourdough flavor for a delicious side dish that pairs well with all of your favorite comfort food meals. Ready in just 30 minutes and made with only 7 simple ingredients, you'll want to have this easy garlic bread recipe on repeat all week long.
Who doesn't absolutely love crusty garlic bread?
I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I could easily eat an entire loaf of garlic bread myself. It's crusty, buttery, garlicky, and just oh-so deliciously good.
But it wasn't until I started making my own sourdough bread that I truly found garlic bread heaven. The tangy flavor and chewy, crusty texture of sourdough bread is the perfect base for homemade garlic bread.
Sprinkle a little cheese on top and you might just have yourself the best sourdough garlic bread you'll ever eat.
So, if you're looking for a delicious side dish for all of your comfort food meals, give this easy sourdough garlic bread recipe a try!
>> Want to make your own sourdough bread? Try my Dutch oven sourdough bread recipe!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Loaded with Garlic- With four whole cloves of freshly grated garlic, there's no skimping in this recipe! This homemade garlic bread with sourdough is loaded with garlicky goodness in every bite.
- Tangy Sourdough Bread- The unique flavor of sourdough bread brings a tangy and delicious twist to classic garlic bread.
- Ready in 30 Minutes- Making garlic bread at home is so easy and only takes about 30 minutes. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal!
- Simple Ingredients- Just 7 simple ingredients are all you need to make this cheesy homemade garlic sourdough bread recipe.
- Versatile- This garlic bread makes a deliciously easy side dish for just about any meal. Pair it with soup, salad, pasta, and more.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes on the key ingredients. For the full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Sourdough Bread- Whether you make your own sourdough bread or buy it from your local bakery, you can't beat its flavor and chewiness.
- Garlic- This recipe calls for four cloves, but feel free to adjust the amount of garlic based on personal preference. Grating the garlic helps achieve a more intense garlic flavor.
- Butter- Using unsalted butter helps control the saltiness of the garlic bread. Softening the butter allows it to mix more easily with the garlic and spread nicely onto the bread.
- Parsley- Fresh parsley adds a bright, herbaceous flavor to the garlic bread and gives it a pop of color.
- Mozzarella Cheese- Low-moisture mozzarella cheese shreds more easily and won't make your garlic bread too wet and watery.
- Parmesan Cheese- Use freshly grated parmesan cheese for the best flavor.
- Kosher Salt- Kosher salt is preferred over table salt because it does not contain added ingredients like sugar and anti-caking agents.
Sustainability Tip: If you don't bake sourdough bread yourself, consider buying locally-baked sourdough bread from a nearby bakery or farmers' market. Supporting local businesses reduces transportation emissions and fosters a sense of community.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few ways you can try customizing this homemade sourdough garlic bread recipe to fit your diet and taste preferences.
Substitutions
- Sourdough Bread- Swap sourdough bread for French bread, Italian bread, ciabatta, or a baguette.
- Garlic- Substitute raw garlic for roasted garlic to make roasted garlic sourdough bread if you prefer a sweeter, more mild garlic flavor. Alternatively, use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder in place of fresh garlic.
- Butter- Extra virgin olive oil can be substituted for butter if preferred.
- Parsley- Swap parsley for rosemary, thyme, oregano, or basil.
- Mozzarella Cheese- For a different flavor, try cheddar cheese or gouda cheese in place of mozzarella cheese.
- Parmesan Cheese- Pecorino romano cheese and asiago cheese make good substitutes for parmesan cheese.
- Kosher Salt- Sea salt, pink Himalayan salt, or table salt can be used in place of kosher salt.
Variations
- Gluten-Free- Use your favorite gluten-free sourdough bread to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Dairy-Free- Swap the regular butter for dairy-free butter or olive oil and use vegan cheese in place of both the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Reduced-Fat- Use half the amount of butter and skip the cheese altogether for reduced-fat sourdough garlic bread.
- Herbed- Add chopped fresh basil, rosemary, thyme, and oregano to make herbed sourdough garlic bread.
- Pesto- Stir homemade basil pesto into the garlic-butter mixture for a flavorful twist on traditional garlic bread.
- Spicy- Mix red pepper flakes into the garlic-butter mixture for a spicy kick.
How to Make Sourdough Garlic Bread
Here is how to make cheesy sourdough garlic bread from scratch.
Step 1: Cut the sourdough bread. Preheat your oven to 425℉ and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Using a sharp serrated knife, carefully cut the sourdough bread loaf in half lengthwise.
Step 2: Prepare the garlic-butter mixture. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the softened butter, garlic, parsley, and kosher salt until well combined.
Step 3: Spread the butter mixture on the sourdough bread. Spread the garlic butter mixture evenly over the sourdough bread. Take your time to ensure the butter mixture is spread all the way to the edges.
Step 4: Bake the bread. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake the bread for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the bread start to turn golden brown.
Step 5: Add cheese. Once the bread has baked, remove it from the oven and sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
Step 6: Melt the cheese. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and melted. Keep an eye on it to prevent the cheese from burning. Cut and serve immediately.
Tips for Success
- Use fresh sourdough bread. The best sourdough garlic bread is made from a fresh loaf you baked yourself with your own sourdough starter. If you don't bake sourdough bread, grab a fresh loaf at your local bread bakery instead.
- Soften the butter. Cold butter is hard to mix and spread. Make sure to soften the butter to room temperature before making the garlic bread.
- Adjust garlic to taste. If you love a strong garlic flavor, feel free to add more garlic. For a milder taste, use less.
- Keep an eye on the bread. Monitor the bread closely while it bakes to avoid burning. Oven temperatures may vary, so check for a golden brown color on the edges to determine if the bread is done.
- Serve immediately. Sourdough garlic cheese bread is best served fresh and hot from the oven. Enjoy it immediately to savor the crispy edges, melted cheese, and flavorful garlic butter.
What to Serve With Sourdough Garlic Bread
Sourdough garlic bread is a side dish that truly pairs well with just about any meal you can think of.
One classic way to serve garlic bread is alongside pasta dishes. Some of my favorite pasta recipes to serve with garlic bread include lasagna bolognese, meatballs, roasted garlic alfredo sauce with sourdough pasta, and blackened salmon pasta.
Pairing garlic bread with soup and salad makes for a light lunch or dinner. Try serving this sourdough garlic bread with buffalo chicken Caesar salad, spinach caprese salad, chicken noodle soup, broccoli soup, or pumpkin soup.
Finally, serve garlic bread as an appetizer or snack alongside delicious dips and sauces. Marinara sauce, pesto sauce, alfredo sauce, and hummus are all great choices for dipping.
Storage and Reheating
How to Store
- Refrigerator- Store leftover sourdough garlic bread wrapped tightly in aluminum foil or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- Freezer- Alternatively, garlic bread also freezes quite well. Wrap the garlic bread tightly in aluminum foil, then place it in a freezer-safe plastic bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat
- Oven- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place slices of leftover garlic bread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes from the refrigerator or for 10-15 minutes from frozen.
- Stovetop- Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Place the garlic bread slices in the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes on each side until warmed through and crispy.
- Air Fryer- Preheat your air fryer to 350°F. Place the garlic bread slices in the air fryer basket and cook for 3-5 minutes or until they are heated through and crispy. Check periodically to avoid overcooking.
Make Ahead
When it comes to making homemade sourdough garlic bread ahead of time, you have a few options.
- Baked Loaf- Follow the recipe all the way through baking the garlic bread, then allow it to cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator. Reheat the baked bread in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
- Unbaked Loaf- For convenient yet freshly-baked garlic bread flavor and texture, leave the loaf unbaked instead. Simply spread the butter mixture onto the bread, but don't bake it until you're ready to serve.
- Garlic-Butter Mixture- Another option to save a little time is to prepare the garlic-butter mixture in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
As a type of fermented bread, sourdough bread is thought to be easier to digest. Additionally, if made at home or bought from a local bread bakery, sourdough bread does not contain any preservatives or other unnecessary ingredients.
Sourdough bread is a fermented bread that uses wild yeast and bacteria as a leavening agent. Typically, Italian bread is made with commercial yeast.
For the best results, it's recommended to use homemade sourdough bread or bread purchased from a local bakery. Store-bought sourdough bread from the bakery section of the grocery store is usually more authentic than pre-sliced varieties found in the bread aisle.
Of course! You can omit the cheese and the garlic bread will still be full of flavor. Feel free to personalize the recipe to your preferences.
While pre-made garlic butter spreads are available, using freshly grated garlic and mixing it with softened butter allows for a stronger and more authentic garlic flavor. However, if you're short on time, you can use pre-made garlic butter spreads as a convenient alternative.
It's generally recommended to bake the garlic bread first and then freeze any leftovers. However, if you want to freeze unbaked garlic bread for future use, follow the recipe until the point of baking, wrap the unbaked bread tightly in foil or plastic wrap, and freeze it. Adjust the baking time when you're ready to bake the frozen bread.
Let's Connect!
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📖 Recipe
Sourdough Garlic Bread
Equipment
- Aluminum foil or parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 pound sourdough bread loaf
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 4 cloves garlic grated or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup low-moisture mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425℉ and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Using a sharp serrated knife, carefully cut the sourdough bread loaf in half lengthwise. This will create two long halves. Place both halves cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet.1 pound sourdough bread loaf
- In a small mixing bowl, mix together the softened butter, garlic, parsley, and kosher salt until well combined.8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Spread the garlic butter mixture evenly over both sides of the sourdough bread. Take your time to ensure the butter mixture is spread all the way to the edges.
- Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake the bread for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the bread start to turn golden brown.
- Once the bread has baked, remove it from the oven and sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.¼ cup low-moisture mozzarella cheese, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and melted. Keep an eye on it to prevent the cheese from burning.
- Cut the garlic bread into 8 equal-sized pieces and serve immediately.
Notes
- Adjust garlic to taste. If you love a strong garlic flavor, feel free to add more garlic. For a milder taste, use less.
- Storage: Store leftovers wrapped tightly in aluminum foil in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Make Ahead:
-
- Baked Loaf- Follow the recipe all the way through baking the garlic bread, then allow it to cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator. Reheat the baked bread in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
-
- Unbaked Loaf- For convenient yet freshly-baked garlic bread flavor and texture, leave the loaf unbaked instead. Simply spread the butter mixture onto the bread, but don't bake it until you're ready to serve.
-
- Garlic-Butter Mixture- Another option to save a little time is to prepare the garlic-butter mixture in advance.
-
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