Description
Homemade mozzarella garlic dunker bread delivers irresistible comfort with crispy edges and melted cheese. Cheesy, herbal, and warm, this simple Italian-inspired appetizer will have guests reaching for more slices.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ loaf Italian or ciabatta bread
- ½ cup (120 ml) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 tbsps (60 ml) salted butter, softened
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp (5 ml) minced garlic
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prep Garlic Butter: Whisk softened unsalted butter with finely minced garlic, chopped parsley, and grated Parmesan until uniformly blended, creating an aromatic spread with robust flavor profiles.
- Bread Preparation: Slice bread loaf horizontally into two equal halves, ensuring a smooth, precise cut that maximizes surface area for garlic butter application.
- Butter Coating: Lavishly distribute the prepared garlic butter across both bread surfaces, ensuring comprehensive and uniform coverage from crust to center.
- Initial Baking: Reassemble the bread halves, wrap securely in aluminum foil, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12 minutes, allowing flavors to intensify and bread to warm thoroughly.
- Cheese Transformation: Unwrap bread, slice into 1-inch strips, arrange butter-side up on baking sheet, and generously crown each strip with shredded mozzarella, creating a molten cheese canvas.
- Final Broiling: Position oven rack, activate broiler at high temperature, and carefully toast bread strips with slightly ajar oven door, monitoring for 2 minutes until cheese melts into a golden, bubbling layer.
- Serving: Transfer dunkers to serving platter, allowing momentary cooling to ensure optimal texture and temperature for an irresistible appetizer experience.
Notes
- Butter Softening Tip: Let butter sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes to achieve perfect spreadability and seamless mixing with other ingredients.
- Garlic Intensity Control: Adjust minced garlic quantity based on personal preference; start with less, as fresh garlic can be potent and overwhelming.
- Cheese Melting Technique: Watch broiler closely during final stage to prevent burning; cheese should melt quickly and turn golden without charring.
- Bread Selection Advice: Choose a sturdy, dense bread like French or Italian loaf that can withstand butter coating and maintains structural integrity during baking.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking, Frying, Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 305
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 540 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg