# Garlic Bread



## swinchen (Dec 4, 2004)

Ok I know it is pretty basic....


But how does everyone make their garlic bread?  Cheese?  Olive Oil or Butter?  

I just don't like the premade stuff!


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## DampCharcoal (Dec 4, 2004)

Here's how I do it. 

1 baguette Italian bread

1 lb butter brought to room temperature

Fresh garlic

Split Italian bread lengthwise horizontally. Depending on how much garlic you like, mince garlic cloves (I do about 6) and put garlic and softened butter into bowl. Mix thoroughly, spread onto bread halves (it will be pretty thick) then toss into preheated 400 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes. Depending on your oven you might want to check at 8 minutes. When the edges of the bread are brown and the garlic butter has melted into the bread, you're good to go. If you want cheese, just put it on top of garlic butter before you put it in the oven! Parmesan, Romano and Asiago are my faves!


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## swinchen (Dec 4, 2004)

1 pound of butter per loaf   

Wow.  Sounds Good!


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## Lifter (Dec 5, 2004)

In the stores here, we get "euro-breads"...crust like a "French Roll", interior still somewhat damp and sweet...

Cut away the end, and slice 3/4" thick, butter heavily with the "garlic spread" that is not butter based, but rather oleo or olive oil (both of which are better for health!)...(both sides!)

Anyways, into a pre-heated frying pan, and about 1.5 minutes until toasted nicely...

Flip the bread, and cover with a layer of Provolone, shredded Asiago, mozza (pick your poison!)(if you want to compare gruyere, here's your opportunity!)...turn the heat off, or down, cover the pan, and leave sit for 60-90 seconds, depending on the stovetop you are working from and pan...

Cut and serve...

If you want to kick it up a lot... make the bruschetta mix of seeded fresh tomato, finely diced, drained of juices, cut fresh basil, a scoop of grated garlic, a "dash" of sea salt, a bit of fresh ground pepper, stirred and mixed...or go "all the way" with a few strips of proscioutto (sp?)...but choose your own level...

Lifter...


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## Haggis (Dec 5, 2004)

Largely depends on what kind I want.

If the dish is quite rich already or it is quite saucy I just get a Ciabatta or other similar style Italian loaf, cut it as thick as you want (generally about 1cm) either grill/toast etc until it is browned then get a clove of garlic, cut in half, and rub the cut side of the garlic on the bread. The bread (provided you have toasted it enough) should act like sandpaper on the garlic. Give it a good drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and maybe some cracked black pepper if you want and thats it. Since the garlic is raw it is quite potent and you dont need a large amount.

For a richer perhaps more common garlic bread I just allow some butter or margarine to soften, mince/crush some garlic cloves and mix it through then spread very liberally on the loaf or individual slices and bake in the oven.


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## buckytom (Dec 6, 2004)

1 loaf semolina bread
1 stick butter
5 tbsps finely chopped garlic (do not use pre-chopped, do it fresh)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
sea salt and pepper

soften butter and blend in garlic and oregano. slice semolina bread in half lengthwise, and spread butter mix evenly inside bread. add salt and pepper to taste, and place open/buttered side up under broiler until the butter melts and the edges of the bread begin to toast.

a tasty option is to add slices of mozzarella cheese to the toasted bread, and put back under broiler until the cheese melts and begins to brown. serve with a cup of marinara for dipping.


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## jennyema (Dec 6, 2004)

Lifter said:
			
		

> but rather oleo or olive oil (both of which are better for health!)...(both sides!)




Butter is generally considered better for you than stick margerine, unless you have a cholesterol problem.

Regular margerine is very unhealthy stuff, actually.  Hydrogenated fats and trans fats.

Olive oil certainly is much healthier.


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## swinchen (Dec 6, 2004)

Maybe Lifter meant Olivio (a butter substitute made from olive oil)?


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## debthecook (Dec 6, 2004)

I THINK Damp Charcoal meant 1 stick butter which equals 1/2 cup or 4oz per loaf.  1lb equals 4 sticks!!  

I like to put celery leaves, minced, instead of oregano on the bread.


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## DampCharcoal (Dec 6, 2004)

Nope, I meant 1 whopping pound of buttery goodness! The French bread loaves I get are about two feet long which equals nearly four feet when split and I do like the garlic butter to soak into the bread quite a bit. I should add here that this a Justin Wilson original and I endorse it wholeheartedly! Mmmmm.


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## mudbug (Dec 6, 2004)

Charc, you are a man after my own heart (what's left of it after trying this!).


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## DampCharcoal (Dec 6, 2004)

LOL!!! Mud, I just remembered the old SNL skit with "Da Bears" guys and Chris Farley pounding his chest to get his heart going again after eating all the ribs, etc!


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## mudbug (Dec 6, 2004)

Sigh.  Da Bearz....what happened after 1985?  I still wear my old jersey out of nostalgia for days gone by. If I still lived in Chicago, I would have signed the petition for Ditka to run for the Senate!

As it happens, we are having garlic bread w/dinner tonight.  I may have to lay on the buttah a little thickah.


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## DampCharcoal (Dec 6, 2004)

Wow! Can you imagine Ditka on the Senate floor? That would be too sweet (and funny!) Didn't he change his mind for some reason? Mmm. Thickah buttah. I like!


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## mudbug (Dec 6, 2004)

Yeah, he changed his mind because there was no way in h### he would have put up the ## that goes on.  Give me a plain-spoken Midwesterner every time.  

Can you imagine him and Butkus as co-chairman of some committee holding hearings??!!   I can just picture someone from CNN covering it now.....trying to figure out how to "translate".


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## DampCharcoal (Dec 6, 2004)

LOL!!! My sides hurt!!! Almost seems like an SNL skit all  in itself!


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## Psiguyy (Dec 6, 2004)

I do it the way my depression raised mother did it.  Probably not the way most would ever think of doing it, but to me it's what tastes right.  

Cut the french loaf into thick slices, but not all the way through.  Place in a sheet of aluminum foil.  Generously butter one side of each slice and sprinkle with garlic salt.  Butter the top and sprinkle with garlic salt.  Fold over the foil and seal shut.  Heat in 350 F oven for 30 minutes or until crust is toasted.  

Like I said, few of you would even think of using garlic salt, but that's how my mom did it and I loved it this way.


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## kitchenelf (Dec 6, 2004)

GREAT DampCharcoal - I made bread your way - my loaf was only 4" long - but BOY was it good just kidding

I also like to sometimes add dill and broil until a little crusty


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## AllenOK (Dec 6, 2004)

Psiguyy said:
			
		

> I do it the way my depression raised mother did it.  Probably not the way most would ever think of doing it, but to me it's what tastes right.
> 
> Cut the french loaf into thick slices, but not all the way through.  Place in a sheet of aluminum foil.  Generously butter one side of each slice and sprinkle with garlic salt.  Butter the top and sprinkle with garlic salt.  Fold over the foil and seal shut.  Heat in 350 F oven for 30 minutes or until crust is toasted.
> 
> Like I said, few of you would even think of using garlic salt, but that's how my mom did it and I loved it this way.



Actually, that's pretty much how I make mine.  I have to be careful about how much garlic salt I use, though.

I've also used a partial tub of margarine, let it come to room temperature, and started mixing in garlic powder until it tastes good.  I would chill this, and spread it on bread for a quickie garlic bread.


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## kitchenelf (Dec 6, 2004)

Growing up I LOVED my mom's garlic bread - it was just plain white bread, spread with butter then sprinkled with garlic salt - put under broiler - I thought it was THE best!


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## Psiguyy (Dec 7, 2004)

I am so happy that I'm not the only one who enjoys garlic bread made with garlic salt.  

Sometimes, I go the roasted garlic and parmesan cheese route, but I still prefer the way my mom made it.  

Kind of like a comfort food.  Even though it's not gourmet, it's something I grew up with and it reminds me of my mom.


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## DampCharcoal (Dec 7, 2004)

Next time you're at the store, pick up a couple of heads of garlic. When you get home go out in the yard, dig up a small patch and plant the heads about 4-6 inches deep (assuming the ground isn't frozen yet.) Next summer you should have quite a bit of garlic to work with! I did this last fall and was pleasantly surprised! Oh, Elf, did you enjoy your Garlic Butter Soup en Croute?


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## choclatechef (Dec 7, 2004)

DampCharcoal said:
			
		

> Next time you're at the store, pick up a couple of heads of garlic. When you get home go out in the yard, dig up a small patch and plant the heads about 4-6 inches deep (assuming the ground isn't frozen yet.) Next summer you should have quite a bit of garlic to work with! I did this last fall and was pleasantly surprised! Oh, Elf, did you enjoy your Garlic Butter Soup en Croute?



If you run across a patch of wild garlic, you can do the same thing.  It has a richer garlic flavor than domestic garlic, but small bulbs.


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## debthecook (Dec 7, 2004)

I have this dull aching pain in my left arm from my shoulder to the tips of my fingers after reading your recipe Damp Charcoal.


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## kitchenelf (Dec 7, 2004)

ROFL deb

LOL DampCharcoal - how did you know what we called it


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## DampCharcoal (Dec 7, 2004)

I knew because I'm psycho, I mean, psychic!


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## buckytom (Dec 7, 2004)

choclatechef said:
			
		

> If you run across a patch of wild garlic, you can do the same thing.  It has a richer garlic flavor than domestic garlic, but small bulbs.



choc, i have wild garlic growing in my garden, or so my mil said, but i thought it was more of just an onion grass. ya know, edible, but not very tasty. thanks for the tip. will have to try some next year...


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## jennyema (Dec 7, 2004)

mudbug said:
			
		

> Sigh.  Da Bearz....what happened after 1985?  I still wear my old jersey out of nostalgia for days gone by. .




My parents live a block away from where the Bears used to practice and she made friends with Walter Payton and "The Fridge" (she called him "William").  USed to bake them brownies.  I still have Walter's wristbands somewhere ...


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## choclatechef (Dec 7, 2004)

buckytom said:
			
		

> choclatechef said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Good.  I know you will like it.  But remember, wild garlic is stronger, so use a little less than you would the cultivated garlic.  

You can transplant where you want it to grow -- remember, roses love garlic also.  Garlic helps keep pests away from them.


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## mudbug (Dec 8, 2004)

jennyema said:
			
		

> I still have Walter's wristbands somewhere ...



You could probably sell them on ebay to a fan.  There's plenty of folks out there who still love and remember the late, great "Sweetness".


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