Sourdough Garlic Bread (Easy Recipe, Ready in Minutes)
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This Sourdough Garlic Bread is one of my favorite ways to turn a simple loaf of bread into something everyone gets excited about. With buttery garlic flavor, crispy golden edges, and a soft center, it’s the perfect side for sourdough pasta, soup, sourdough meatballs, or any meal that needs a little something extra.
It’s also a great way to use up leftover Sourdough French Bread or Sourdough Discard French Bread, making it as practical as it is delicious. Once the garlic butter melts into every slice and the edges turn perfectly golden, it’s hard to stop at just one piece.
Quick Look: Sourdough Garlic Bread
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Bake Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Servings: 1 loaf
- Calories: ~122 kcals per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- Cook Method: Baked
- Flavor Profile: Buttery and garlicky with crispy golden edges and a soft, tender center. Fresh parsley adds a pop of color and flavor — even better with a layer of melted parmesan or mozzarella on top!
- Difficulty: Easy — Simple ingredients, minimal prep, and ready in under 20 minutes!
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Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Garlic Bread
- Tastes way better than store-bought– Homemade sourdough garlic bread starts with sourdough French bread, so you get a chewy center and crisp edges that hold up better than frozen garlic bread most people use for quick pasta nights. If you like Garlic & Rosemary Sourdough Bread, that one uses roasted garlic, while this one uses fresh garlic in the garlic butter.
- Quick and easy to make– This is a quick oven baked garlic bread that uses simple ingredients and takes just a few minutes to prep and about 15–18 minutes to bake. If you want it crispier, you can bake it an extra 3–5 minutes, keeping an eye on the edges. It’s another easy homemade dinner bread to keep on rotation with recipes like my Sourdough Dinner Rolls.
- Crispy edges, soft center- It bakes up golden with crisp edges and a soft center that stays tender as the garlic butter melts in, just like my Sourdough Cheese and Garlic Pull-Apart Bread.
- Prep and freeze ahead — You can make the garlic butter spread up to 3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge, or freeze it for up to 3 months, so putting this together on a busy weeknight takes no time at all. Make a double batch of the garlic butter too because you’ll want it for these Sourdough Breadsticks as well.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Bread- I almost always use my Sourdough French Bread for this recipe, but if I’m short on time, my Sourdough Discard French Bread comes together in just 2 hours. Use your favorite bread, whether that’s Sourdough Ciabatta, leftover Sourdough Hot Dog Buns, Sourdough Burger Buns, or pretty much any leftover bread.
- Butter- I use salted butter. If you only have unsalted butter, just add a pinch of salt. Make sure the butter’s really soft before you start so it spreads easily. If you need a dairy-free option, vegan butter works great.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives you the best flavor. I always use my garlic press to mince it quickly. Check the recipe card below if you need to swap out fresh for garlic powder.
- Herbs-I love adding some parsley for the fresh flavor, plus it adds a pop of color that makes my homemade garlic bread look so good on the table. You can use flat-leaf or curly parsley, or skip it entirely.
- Cheese (Optional): If you’re craving cheesy garlic bread, top each half with freshly grated parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, or both!
Recipe Variations
- Chives – Instead of fresh parsley, use finely chopped fresh chives for a subtle onion flavor.
- Dried Herbs – If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, you can use half the amount of dried parsley or dried Italian seasoning.
- Spicy – Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the garlic butter mixture for a bit of heat.
How to Make the Best Sourdough Garlic Bread
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Slice the loaf of sourdough bread in half lengthwise and place the halves on the prepared baking sheet, cut sides up.
- In a medium bowl, mix the butter, garlic, parsley, and salt together until well combined.
- Spread evenly over the bread.
- If using cheese, sprinkle it evenly over the garlic butter.
- Bake the garlic bread for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the edges are nice and golden brown.
- Slice with a serrated knife and enjoy!
McKenna’s Helpful Tips
- Make the garlic butter ahead of time.You can make the garlic butter spread up to 3 days in advance and keep it in the fridge in an airtight container. Or wrap it up in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Spread the butter all the way to the edges. Nobody wants a dry bite, so make sure every inch of the bread is covered.
- Skip the pre-shredded cheese because it has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting properly. Shred your own cheese for the best results.
- Use a serrated knife to slice the bread. A serrated knife gives you clean, even slices every time.
How to Store
Leftover garlic bread can be wrapped tightly in foil and refrigerated for up to 3 to 4 days. To reheat, microwave it for 20 to 30 seconds or warm it in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes. To freeze, wrap individual slices in foil, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat straight from frozen at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
Sourdough Garlic Bread FAQs
Yes, you can! Assemble the garlic bread by spreading the butter mixture over the bread, then wrap it tightly in foil and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake. Then pop it under the broiler just shortly for crisp it up again and serve!
Absolutely. Go ahead and spread the butter mixture over the bread, wrap it up tight in foil, and stick it in the freezer. When you’re ready for a slice, pull the unbaked garlic bread straight from the freezer and bake. Add a few extra minutes to the bake time and keep an eye on it. This is such a time-saver in the kitchen!
No worries! Garlic powder works really well as a substitute. Check the recipe notes below for exactly how much to use.
If you tried this Sourdough Garlic Bread recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
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Equipment
- sharp knife
Ingredients
- 113 grams salted butter 1/2 cup
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 grams parsley, chopped 1 Tablespoon
- 15 grams Parmesan cheese, freshly grated 1/3 cup
- flaky salt to taste
- 113 grams mozzarella cheese, freshly grated (optional) 1 cup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Slice one loaf of Sourdough French Bread or Sourdough Discard French Bread in half lengthwise and place them on the prepared baking sheet, cut sides up. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the butter, garlic, parsley and salt together until well combined. Spread evenly over bread.113 grams salted butter, 3 cloves of garlic, minced, 4 grams parsley, chopped, flaky salt
- If desired, sprinkle the cheese evenly on top of the garlic butter.15 grams Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, 113 grams mozzarella cheese, freshly grated (optional)
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until slightly golden brown on the edges. If you prefer crispier bread, bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, but keep an eye on it!
- Slice with a serrated knife and enjoy!
