Braided Garlic Bread Recipe + Video

This garlic bread isn’t just a looker! This recipe features a fluffy and rich homemade yeast dough slathered with garlic butter.

Why is garlic bread so good??

It may be all the butter and carbs. But there’s nothing quite like a plate of pasta with a side of garlic bread, and this garlic bread recipe is a game-changer!

Not only does it look amazing, it’s also light and fluffy with a crispy crust, and has layers of garlic butter throughout. Getting the braid is actually really easy, but it looks like you spent a lot of time on it!

Quick Look: How to make garlic bread:

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in lukewarm water. Let sit until foamy.
2. Add egg and lukewarm milk. Stir to combine slightly.
3. Add half of flour along with salt. Mix everything together until you get a thick and sticky dough. The reason we need to add half the flour in first is because melted butter can impact how flour absorbs the other liquids in the dough. The butter can also make if difficult for gluten to form and connect, which can impact the overall rise of your bread.
4. Add butter along with remaining flour. Knead for 5 to 10 minutes, adding flour as needed, or until you have a smooth ball of dough that’s not too sticky.
5. Cover the dough. Set aside for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until nearly doubled in size.
6. In a separate bowl, cream together butter, garlic, parsley, and salt until you get a thick paste. Set aside until ready to use.
7. Roll risen dough out into a 9×14 inch rectangle. Spread garlic butter on surface of the rectangle.
8. Roll the rectangle into a tube. Cut the roll down the center lengthwise. Turn each half over so the garlic butter layers are facing upwards. Pinch together the 2 halves at one end. Braid the garlic bread by twisting one half over the other, alternating, until you have a twisted garlic bread (see video for visual). Pinch other end together to seal.
9. Transfer shaped bread to a parchment lined 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover and let rise until double again (about 30 minutes).
10. Bake in the center of a preheated 350°F oven until golden brown on top ( about 25 to 30 minutes).
Cool slightly to handle before slicing and serving!

Garlic Bread Storage:

Storing garlic bread at room temperature: To store this garlic bread at room temperature, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and set aside. It will keep well for up to 3 days.

I recommend keeping the bread unsliced until you want to have a piece of it. Sliced bread will dry out and become stale more quickly than unsliced. This bread may start to get a bit stale towards the end of day 2. If this does happen, you can just reheat the loaf or individual slices by placing it on a baking sheet and heating in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until warmed through.

Storing garlic bread in the fridge: This garlic bread will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. Again, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and keep refrigerated (preferably unsliced) until ready to serve. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Freezing garlic bread: This garlic bread freezes very well and will last for up to 3 months frozen. Unlike when storing the bread in the fridge or at room temperature, you can freeze the bread whole or sliced without impacting it’s shelf life.

Before serving, allow the bread to defrost overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for a few hours. Reheat in an oven at 350°F for 5 to 10 minutes before eating. You can also place the frozen loaf or slices in the center of an oven at 325°F to defrost and warm (about 10 minutes).

Reheating garlic bread in the microwave:

My preferred way to reheat this garlic bread is in the oven because I like to toast it up a bit. If you like and/or don’t mind a softer garlic bread, you can also reheat your bread in the microwave.

To reheat in the microwave, place the garlic brad on a microwave safe plate. Heat on high for 15 to 30 seconds, or until warm.

What herb to use for garlic bread:

When making garlic bread, you have quite a few different choices for what kind of herb to use. I like to use parsley most of the time, but you can also make this recipe with fresh oregano, fresh basil, fresh rosemary, or fresh thyme.

Depending on what you use, you may need to adjust the measurements slightly. For parsley, it has more of a subtle flavor, so I like to use a lot. Oregano, basil, rosemary, and thyme have slightly stronger flavors, so I would recommend using around 2 tablespoons of whichever one you choose.

That being said, this is all to taste. You may like a lighter herb flavor, so you can always decrease the amount that you use. When it comes to how much garlic to put in the garlic bread spread, you can also reduce the amount of garlic. I personally love garlic, so I use a good amount. But do you!

When to eat garlic bread:

Garlic bread can be served as a side, appetizer, or even a snack! It also pairs really well with pasta, which is why garlic bread is served with pasta a lot of the time.

If you liked this garlic bread, check out some of these other recipes!

• soft dinner rolls
• garlic herb breadsticks
• cinnamon swirl wreath bread
• garlic knots
• sandwich bread

Braided Garlic Bread Recipe

This garlic bread isn’t just a looker! This recipe features a fluffy and rich homemade yeast dough slathered with garlic butter.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings: 10 slices (approx.)

Ingredients

For the Garlic Bread Yeast Dough

• 3 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and shaping
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup warm water (about 110°F)
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 & 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) instant or active dry yeast
• 1 large egg lightly beaten, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup warm milk (about 110°F)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the Garlic Butter Spread

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• How to make the yeast dough: In a large bowl, mix together water, sugar, and yeast. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes or until the mixture becomes bubbly and foamy on top. Add the beaten egg and milk to the yeast mixture. Mix to combine slightly.
• Add about half of your flour (1 and 3/4 cups) along with the salt to the wet ingredients. Mix together until you get a thick and sticky dough. Add the melted butter to the wet dough along with the rest of the flour. Using a wooden spoon or a mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment on medium speed, mix the ingredients until they start to come together into a rough ball of dough. If working by hand, knead the dough by hand for 8 to 10 minutes, or until you get a smooth and slightly tacky ball of dough. Add flour as needed if the dough is too sticky. If using a mixer, knead the dough on medium speed for 5 to 6 minutes, or until smooth and tacky. Again, adding flour when needed. The dough should not stick to the sides when it’s done, but it may stick slightly on the bottom of the bowl.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Set aside in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until about doubled in size.
• How to make the garlic butter spread: In a medium sized bowl, combine butter, parsley, garlic, and salt. Mix together until you get a thick, spreadable paste. Set aside until ready to use.
• How to shape the garlic bread: Once the dough has finished rising, turn it out onto a large, lightly floured cutting board. Roll the dough out into a 9×14 inch rectangle. Spread the garlic butter spread onto the surface of the dough, leaving about a 1/4 inch border without any filling to prevent it from getting pushed out when we shape it.
• Working on the long side of the dough, roll it up tightly into a tube. Pinch the seams of the dough to seal. Cut the dough in half lengthwise down the center. Turn each half facing up to reveal the layers of garlic butter. Starting from one end, press the 2 halves together to seal. Twist the garlic bread by turning one half of the dough over the other, repeating until you reach the other end of the dough. Pinch the other end of the dough together, and fold down and under the dough to hide the seam. (For a visual, check out the video right above the recipe to see how to shape braided garlic bread)
• Transfer your shaped garlic bread into a 9×13 inch baking dish lined with parchment paper. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for 30 minutes, or until about doubled in size.
• Bake the dough: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Uncover dough and bake in the center of the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a light golden brown on top. Remove the garlic bread from the oven, and allow the bread to cool enough to handle. Slice and serve warm!

Video

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Enjoy!

I would love to hear any tips you’d like to add to this post and how your garlic bread turned out in the comments below!

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