Crust Is Holding Your Garlic Bread Back From So Much Extra Flavor

Remember when you were a little kid and asked your mom to cut the crust off of your PB&J? While it's likely that you take a more grown-up approach to sandwiches these days, there's one food we can get behind cutting off the crust, and that's garlic bread. Whether you normally buy frozen garlic bread or slice a loaf of French or sourdough bread at home to make your own, you know that all the flavor lies in the buttery, super-seasoned top of the bread. When you cut the crusts away, however, you're left with a lot more surface area to infuse with garlicky goodness. 

To get started with this hack, get a loaf of your favorite bread from the grocery store (or pick up a sourdough loaf from Panera or another local bakery). Since you're going to be getting rid of a significant amount of the crust, it's smart to choose a big loaf to make sure there will be plenty of garlic bread for everyone to come back for seconds (don't worry — you can save the crusts and use them to make fantastic homemade breadcrumbs).

Begin your elevated garlic bread prep by carefully slicing off the crusts, leaving as much of the interior of the bread intact as possible. You might find it easier to remove the ends first, then chop the bread into cubes, then peel the crust away. If you're planning to dip the garlic bread into tomato sauce, it's best to cut it into sticks. From there, you'll need to prep your go-to garlic butter blend to coat all the now-exposed sides of each piece.

Once you've got your bread de-crusted, it's time to get to work with the seasoning process. The world is your oyster here, and it may take a few batches for you to find the seasoning blend that's the right fit for your taste buds. 

If you're using powder instead of fresh garlic, we recommend starting by rehydrating. Surprisingly, rehydrated garlic powder has a super strong flavor and adds roasted notes that can give your garlic bread more depth. After your garlic powder has been splashed awake, go ahead and mix it into your butter or olive oil. Use salt, pepper, and parsley to taste. Check your seasoning levels by dipping a bit of the leftover crust into your spread so that you're able to taste it just before you start coating it on what's about to become your family's most-requested side dish.

Then, it's time for the fun part: Slather each side of your garlic bread in the butter. It's going to be a greasy mess, but it's totally worth it. Your preferred cooking method is up to you. Some prefer to pop crustless garlic bread in the oven, while others prefer to fry it on a stovetop pan for an extra crunch.