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5-Ingredient Cheesy Garlic Bread Blitz (the easy garlic bread recipe I make on autopilot)

A fast, 5-ingredient, ultra-cheesy homemade garlic bread with a buttery garlic spread and a bubbly broiled finish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Italian-American
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Rimmed baking sheet standard half-sheet pan is ideal to catch butter and cheese; a quarter-sheet pan works if your bread is smaller. In a pinch, use an oven-safe skillet or a sheet of heavy-duty foil on a rack.
  • Mixing bowl medium bowl for stirring the garlic butter; any heatproof bowl works, including a glass measuring cup.
  • Microplane or fine grater best for turning garlic into a paste so it perfumes the butter evenly; substitute with a garlic press or mince very finely with a knife.
  • Serrated knife for cleanly slicing the bread without crushing it; a chef knife works if the loaf is soft.
  • silicone spatula or spoon for spreading the garlic butter all the way to the edges; a butter knife works too.

Ingredients
  

For the 5-ingredient cheesy garlic bread

  • 1 loaf italian bread or french bread 8 to 10 inch loaf is easiest; this also works as homemade garlic bread with regular bread like sandwich bread, but reduce cook time and watch closely
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature for easy mixing; salted butter is fine, just taste the butter mixture and keep the parmesan slightly lighter
  • 4 clove garlic finely grated or pressed for maximum punch; if you love garlic, you can use 5 clove without changing the method
  • 1 cup low-moisture mozzarella shredded; low-moisture melts smoothly without turning the bread soggy. Substitute with provolone, fontina, or a pizza blend
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese finely grated for a salty, nutty finish; pecorino romano is a great swap if you want more bite

Instructions
 

Prep

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Set a rack in the upper third of the oven so the top can brown quickly without over-drying the bread.
  2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment for easy cleanup. (Cheese will escape. It always does.)
  3. Slice the loaf in half lengthwise like you are making a giant sandwich. Place both halves cut-side up on the baking sheet.
  4. In a mixing bowl, stir the softened butter and finely grated garlic until the garlic is evenly distributed. Tip: grated garlic acts like a paste, so the flavor is loud and consistent instead of little raw chunks in random bites.

Build the garlic bread topping

  1. Spread the garlic butter evenly over the cut sides of the bread, going edge to edge. The edges are where bread dries out fastest, so do not leave them naked.
  2. Sprinkle mozzarella over both halves, then finish with parmesan. Tip: mozzarella gives the stretchy melt; parmesan gives you that savory browned crust. Together they make the best homemade garlic bread vibe without needing extra ingredients.

Bake and blitz-finish

  1. Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bread looks lightly crisp around the edges.
  2. Switch the oven to broil and broil for 2 minutes, watching closely, until the top is bubbly with browned spots. Do not walk away: the difference between golden and scorched is basically one text message.
  3. Rest for 2 minutes on the pan so the cheese sets slightly (this makes cleaner slices). Cut into thick strips or squares and serve hot.

Optional: garlic bread without oven (stovetop method)

  1. If you want garlic bread without oven, heat a large skillet (cast iron is best) over medium-low heat. Place the bread halves buttered-side up in the skillet, cover with a lid, and cook for 6 minutes so the bottom crisps and the cheese melts from trapped steam.
  2. Uncover and cook 2 more minutes to dry the surface slightly. If you want more color on top, briefly run under a broiler if you have one, or simply cook a minute longer covered to fully melt the cheese. Keep heat gentle so the bottom does not burn before the cheese finishes.

Tiny upgrades that keep it a 5-ingredient recipe

  1. For extra crunch: toast the bread halves plain for 2 minutes before adding the butter and cheese, then proceed. This is helpful if your loaf is very soft.
  2. For a sharper garlic hit without adding ingredients: let the butter-garlic mixture sit for 5 minutes before spreading. The garlic perfumes the butter more deeply, which reads as more garlicky even though you did not add anything.