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Tantalize your tastebuds with my mouthwatering Garlic Pesto Bread, where crisp, golden brown bread meets the vibrant, herby goodness of pesto sauce, punchy fresh garlic, and gooey melted cheese. Super easy to make with 7 basic ingredients, this recipe for bread pesto features the perfect blend of savory flavors, cheesy decadence, and irresistible deliciousness.
Table of Contents
About this pesto bread
If you love roasted garlic bread, get ready to flip over this kicked-up-a-notch garlic bread with pesto!
Imagine: fluffy, crusty bread slathered with a rich garlic butter infused with vibrantly robust basil pesto sauce and nutty parmesan; generously smothered with creamy mozzarella cheese, then baked until perfectly crispity-crunchity and beautifully ooey-gooey. Honestly, it’s THE warm, cheesy, herby bread recipe you’ve been missing in your life.
Oh, and the best part? This pesto bread is insanely easy to make with just 7 pantry ingredients. I’m talking: mix, slather, bake, and boom—devour!
Whether you’re looking for a carb-y appetizer, a cheesy side dish, or a simple snack, this pesto and garlic bread delight is sure to satisfy your every culinary need.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Effortlessly Easy. There’s just 5 ingredients in the flavorful garlic pesto butter and the entire process is ridiculously easy—just mix, slather, bake, and devour.
- Deliciously Flavorful. Crusty, savory bread meets vibrant, garlicky basil pesto sauce and a blanket of gooey melty cheese. What’s not to love?!
- Versatile as Ever. This cheesy awesomeness pairs well with pretty much everything, from soups and stews, to spaghetti with meat sauce, and roasted holiday favorites. Or, use it as a base for bruschetta, open faced sandwiches, and so much more!
- Total Crowd-Pleaser. With the perfect balance of comforting goodness, cheesy deliciousness, herby freshness, and crispity crunch, I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t rave over this pesto bread.
Ingredients for bread with pesto
- Unsalted Butter. Start with unsalted to give you greater control over the overall taste.
- Garlic Cloves. For the best garlicky pesto bread, make sure you use fresh cloves of garlic and mince them yourself.
- Pesto Sauce. You can use homemade basil pesto sauce or store bought depending upon your preference.
- Hot Sauce. Just a couple drops lends a bit of acidity and a touch of heat.
- Parmesan Cheese. Grab a block of parmesan and grate it yourself for the best taste and texture. That stuff in a green container may be convenient, but it’s also lackluster in flavor.
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper. For overall flavor.
- Bread. I recommend using a French baguette, Italian bread, or any rustic crusty bread load you love.
- Mozzarella Cheese. Freshly grated mozzarella lends richness and the perfect touch of cheesy indulgence. Just like the parm, make sure you grab a block of cheese and grate it yourself. Those bags of pre-shredded cheese contain anti-caking agents that prevent the cheese from melting beautifully.
Recipe variations
- Pesto Swap: This cheesy, garlicky bread plays nicely with any of your favorite flavors of pesto sauce, like arugula pesto, mint pesto, sundried tomato pesto, and more. And use any leftover sauce to make the best pasta with pesto sauce recipe.
- Roasted Garlic Pesto Bread. If you’re looking for rich, subtly sweet garlic flavor, swap out the raw cloves and use double the amount of roasted garlic instead.
- Herby Garlic Bread with Pesto. Enhance the herby flavor by incorporating fresh herbs like basil, oregano, or thyme, or dry herbs, like Italian spice mix, to the garlic butter mixture.
- Spicy Twist. If you prefer a kick of heat, mix some red pepper flakes or minced chopped jalapeños into the butter spread.
- Vegan-Friendly. You can easily make this bread with pesto vegan friendly by using plant-based butter and swapping the cheese for your favorite non-dairy alternatives.
Chef expert tips for perfect results every time
- Choose a Fresh Loaf. Starting with a fresh loaf is key for the best texture and flavor. Day-old bread will work if you prefer a crunchier texture, but fresh is always best.
- Homemade Pesto. Pesto sauce is an undeniable star in this recipe, so be sure to use your favorite homemade recipe or a good-quality brand for the best taste. And feel free to experiment with different pestos, like Trapanese pesto, Sicilian pesto, and sun-dried tomato pesto.
- Start with Soft Butter. Ensure your butter is properly softened to room temperature to make it easier to mix with the pesto sauce and other ingredients. But, don’t melt the butter, as this can make the bread soggy.
- Edge to Edge Distribution. When spreading the pesto butter and sprinkling the cheese onto the bread, aim for edge-to-edge, even distribution. You want each and every bite to have that perfect blend of buttery, saucy, garlicky, cheesy goodness.
- Roast and Broil. If you love crunchy texture (like me!), briefly broil the bread for a minute or two after baking. Just be sure to keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
- Garnish and Dollop with Pesto. Before serving, scatter the top of the cheesy garlic and pesto bread with fresh basil and/or parsley, grated parmesan, and red pepper flakes. And if you’re looking for extra pesto flavor, consider drizzling a little bit of the pesto sauce over the bread before enjoying.
- Serve Immediately. For the best taste, make sure to serve this roasted pesto sauce bread recipe while it’s still warm.
FAQs: frequently asked questions
Below you’ll find the most common questions and answers about making this recipe. If you have a question you’d like answered, please drop it in the comments section below!
Can I use store-bought pesto sauce?
You can absolutely use a store-bought brand of pesto sauce, just make sure it’s a high-quality brand. And keep in mind homemade pesto will lend the most vibrant, freshest flavor.
What’s the best bread to use?
A French baguette, Italian loaf, or sourdough bread will work best as they hold up well to toppings. But you can absolutely use whatever variety of bread you love.
Can I add other toppings?
For sure! You can easily add more cheese, fresh herbs, a sprinkle of chili flakes, and/or a scattering of fresh herbs. Or add your favorite pizza toppings like pepperoni, black olives, and/or sauteed mushrooms to turn it into a baguette pizza
Can I make this ahead of time?
You can absolutely prepare this pesto bread recipe up to the point of baking. Just cut the bread, spread on the pesto butter, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, add the shredded cheese and bake according to the recipe instructions.
More than just a side dish, this cheesy pesto garlic bread recipe is a true celebration of flavor, texture, and comfort. Soft yet crispy, perfectly golden, herby, cheesy, and 100% delicious, it’s the perfect way to add a little joy to your dinner table.
So, what are you waiting for? Bake up some magic and don’t forget to snap a photo or share your results in the comments section. Until next time, friends, cheers! And happy baking!
Cheyanne
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More recipes for homemade breads!
- Roasted Garlic Clove Bread
- Cheesy Beer Bread
- Easy Dinner Rolls (in one hour)
Pesto Bread
Equipment
- 1 Large Baking Sheet – with parchment paper
- 1 Medium Mixing Bowl – for making the pesto garlic butter
Ingredients
- 1 stick Unsalted Butter – softened to room temperature and cubed
- 3-5 large Cloves Garlic – peeled and grated; to taste
- 4 ½ Tablespoons Pesto Sauce – homemade or good quality
- 1/3 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese – plus more for topping
- ½-1 teaspoon Hot Sauce – to taste
- to taste Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 16-ounce Loaf French Bread, Italian Bread, or Rustic Crusty Bread
- 2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese – freshly shredded
- Optional Garnishes: Chiffonade Fresh Basil and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prep Baking Sheet: Position your oven rack to the center position and then preheat your oven to 375-degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy clean up (optional) and set aside.
- Mix Pesto Garlic Butter: To a medium bowl, add the softened butter, grated garlic, pesto sauce, parmesan, hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and a generous pinch of black pepper. Use a fork or small whisk to stir and mash the ingredients until fully combined.
- Prep the Loaf of Bread: Place the loaf of bread onto a clean work surface. Use a serrated knife to slice the baguette in half horizontally, making sure both halves are roughly the same size. Transfer the bread halves to the prepared baking sheet, with the cut sides facing up.
- Butter the Bread: Use a butter knife or small rubber spatula to generously spread the garlic pesto butter all over the cut sides of the bread – spreading the butter edge to edge.
- Sprinkle Mozzarella on Top: Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over both halves of the bread.
- Bake Pesto Bread: Place the bread in the preheated oven and bake for 8-14 minutes, or until the edges of the garlic bread are lightly golden brown, the cheese is melty, and the bread is crisped to your liking.
- Broil – Optional for Super Crispy Bread: Remove the garlic bread from the oven and arrange the oven rack so that it’s 5-inches from the heating element. Preheat oven to Broil. Place the bread back into the oven and broil for 45 seconds to 1 ½ minutes, or until the garlic bread is crispy and golden brown. (Note: Keep a close eye on the bread when broiling as it can go from golden delicious to burnt garbage in seconds.) (Tip: In my humble opinion, garlic bread is perfectly crisp and toasted when it just barely resists a gentle squeeze at the edges. I bake my bread for 9 minutes and broil for 1 minute.)
- Slice and Enjoy Garlic Bread Pesto: Sprinkle a little grated parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, and chopped basil over the warm bread. Once cool enough to handle, use a serrated knife to cut the halves of bread into 2 to 3-inch rectangles or triangles and enjoy!
Notes
- Need to Scale the Recipe? Hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card. You’ll see a sliding scale pop up, you can use that to scale the recipe up or down as needed.
- Got questions? I’ve got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification – please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I’m happy to help when I can!
Nutrition
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