Cheesy garlic bread

Garlic bread is always great on its own or served as an accompaniment to a main course, especially as part of an Italian meal. This recipe for cheesy garlic bread gives it a definite edge but is quick and easy. Definitely one for those moments when you need something warm and comforting or as a classy addition to a meal.

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• small bunch of parsley
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 ounce / 30g butter
• 8¾ ounces / 250g mozzarella
• medium sized bloomer loaf

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan) / 374°F (338°F fan).

Put the garlic, parsley leaves and olive oil into a food processor and blitz to a fine paste.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the garlic mix and cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly.  Then remove from the heat.

Make diagonal cuts across your bread in both directions.  Make them about an inch apart along the entire length of the loaf, cutting about three quarters deep.

Using a spoon, fill the cuts with your garlic paste (see Tips below).

Cut your mozzarella into thick slices (about 5mm thick) and cut these into 1cm squares.

Fill up all the cracks with your cheese, pushing right down so the cheese really fills your loaf.

Wrap your loaf with two pieces of foil, the first on the bottom which comes up both sides of the loaf and the second, a lid that covers the top.

Place directly on an oven shelf and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the foil lid but retain the foil on the bottom and sides and bake for another 10 minutes or until your loaf is going golden and your cheese has melted.

Tips

I find it easier to fill the cuts with garlic paste by putting the knife back in, prizing apart and drizzling the paste in there with the knife holding the crack open.

Trivia

Garlic bread is derived from Italian bruschetta, a dish based on thickly sliced bread rubbed with garlic and olive oil. Considered a peasant dish, it has probably been passed down from the ancient Romans. Bruschetta was probably introduced in America by Italian immigrants and because olive oil was not readily available butter was substituted, thereby making what we know as garlic bread.