Garlic Bread

Ingredients

• 1 loaf Italian bread
• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 tbsp cold butter

Method

Heat the oven to 230°C. The goal is to build a deeply savoury garlic emulsion that clings to the bread without soaking it — too much liquid and you get soggy toast; too little and the seasoning sits on the surface unevenly.

Melt 115g butter in a small pan over medium heat. Crush four garlic cloves with the flat of your knife to split them, then remove the green germ from the centre (it carries a bitter, sulphurous bite that muddies the sweet, mellow note you're after). Mince the cloves finely and add them to the foaming butter. Let them cook for 90 seconds to two minutes, stirring constantly, until the raw garlic scent softens and the cloves begin to turn translucent at the edges — this is where aromatics release their volatile oils into the fat. The butter should smell sweet and savory now, not harsh. Stir in one teaspoon of garlic powder and one-quarter teaspoon of cayenne. Add one teaspoon of water mixed into the powder first to prevent clumping. Remove from the heat. Cut 55g of cold butter into small pieces and whisk them in — the cold fat re-emulsifies the warm butter and creates a thick, spreadable paste that clings rather than pools.

Halve your Italian loaf horizontally with a serrated knife, using a sawing motion rather than downward pressure to avoid compressing the crumb. Spread the garlic butter evenly across both cut surfaces, working it into any open air pockets in the dough. Place both halves skin-side down on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake for four to five minutes until the exposed bread surface begins to colour at the edges and feels firm when pressed — the interior is heating through while the exterior dries slightly and the butter crisps. The cut surface should have turned golden, not dark brown. If the edges of the crust are catching before the bread warms, your oven is running hot; lower to 220°C and extend the timing by a minute or two.

Serve immediately while the butter is still soft and the bread retains its crisp exterior.