ArcaMax

Garlic bread is simple to make but often a disappointment to eat, with either too much or too little garlic flavor and bread that’s steamed and unevenly browned.

For an evenly toasted version with garlic flavor that was prominent but not harsh, we briefly microwaved fresh garlic (grated to a paste with a rasp-style grater) and butter and combined it with garlic powder, which provided sweet, roasty notes. We then combined the melted garlic butter with solid butter and just a bit of cayenne and salt to make a spreadable paste that could be smeared evenly onto the bread.

We first baked the bread cut-side up on a baking sheet and then flipped it and compressed it with a second baking sheet. The panini-like setup pressed the cut side onto the hot sheet so that it evenly crisped and browned while also compressing the bread for a better balance of crust to crumb.

Really Good Garlic Bread

Serves 8

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon water

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced to paste (1 tablespoon)

1 (1-pound) loaf soft Italian bread, halved horizontally

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine garlic powder and water in a medium bowl. Add 4 tablespoons butter, the salt and cayenne to bowl; set aside.

2. Place remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a small bowl and microwave, covered, until melted, about 30 seconds. Stir in garlic and continue to microwave, covered, until mixture is bubbling around edges, about 1 minute, stirring halfway through microwaving. Transfer melted butter mixture to bowl with garlic powder–butter mixture and whisk until homogeneous loose paste forms. (If mixture melts, set aside and let solidify before using.)

3. Spread cut sides of bread evenly with butter mixture. Transfer bread, cut sides up, to rimmed baking sheet. Bake until butter mixture has melted and seeped into bread, 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Remove sheet from oven. Flip bread cut sides down, place second rimmed baking sheet on top, and gently press. Return sheet to oven, leaving second sheet on top of bread, and continue to bake until cut sides are golden brown and crisp, 4 to 12 minutes longer, rotating sheet halfway through baking.

5. Transfer bread to cutting board. Using serrated knife, cut each half into eight slices. Serve immediately.

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