Can a good slab of garlic bread cure almost anything? We think so, especially if you double down on the garlic. But even though it is a fairly easy dish to make, garlic bread can oftentimes come out too dry, and sometimes even flavorless. There’s more to the puzzle than just upping the garlic, however. According to Dan Pelosi, the author of the new cookbook “Let’s Party: Recipes and Menus for Celebrating Every Day,” if you are not paying attention to both sides of the bread, you are leaving a lot of flavor out of the equation. We reached out to him for an expert take on why a little extra butter goes a long way on a loaf of garlic bread, and to him there’s no debate about whether or not both sides of the bread get buttered.
“Absolutely both sides!” he said. “Has anyone ever complained about too much butter? But also, the butter is the fat that the garlic cooks in so it’s important to have plenty of it!” Depending on the type of bread you’re using, buttering both sides just makes a lot of sense. You will not only get more flavor from the butter itself, of course, but the fat will also create more crispy, browned surface area once it is toasted. This will make all the difference between so-so garlic bread and the stuff your guests will grab for seconds and thirds.
Read more: The Definitive Ranking Of Grocery Store Butter Brands
Cheese And Spices Are Optional Extras
Toasted garlic bread topped with cheese on a wooden cutting board with a dip. – niindo/Shutterstock
Great garlic bread only requires some quality bread, butter, garlic, and salt, but that does not mean there are not other ways to upgrade the classic side. A little Italian seasoning goes a long way, or perhaps a few shakes of red pepper flakes to spice things up. Dan Pelosi, who has more than 200,000 followers on his Instagram @grossypelosi, adds spices right to the butter for a little extra flair. “I add paprika to my compound garlic butter, which gives it a nice kick. I spread the butter evenly onto the bread to make sure it gets onto every part,” he said.
We have been known to add a little cheese to our garlic loaves here at Chowhound, too, which is easy to do with an air fryer. We also are not afraid to go a little off-book and jazz up garlic bread with an unconventional cheese like brie, or add a dash of hot sauce like Guy Fieri does. Pelosi says he does not normally use cheese for his version, but he is up for the experiment. “I typically do not do cheese on my garlic bread, but I love the idea,” he said, adding that he would use grated mozzarella topped with grated parmesan for the ultimately cheesy garlic bread experience.
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Dining and Cooking