Can You Microwave Garlic Bread? Is It Possible?

on October 8, 2022

Garlic bread is a fantastic treat to have with a range of dishes particularly Italian ones such as pasta. Traditionally garlic bread is prepared in an oven where it is typically wrapped in foil. However, if you forgot to put the garlic bread in for a meal can you actually microwave it?

It is possible to microwave garlic bread from the freezer, however, due to the nature of the way that the microwave heats food it will not produce that crunchy crusty garlic bread that we are used to from the oven. The bread produced will be relatively soft and chewy but nonetheless still quite satisfying.

To prepare the garlic bread it is best to remove the foil from the loaf for two specific reasons. The first is that foils can, in certain circumstances, produce sparking within a microwave though this is not all that common which is not ideal. However, the main reason why foil should be removed is that it shields the bread from the microwaves which means that it does not heat evenly all the way through.

Once the foil has been removed from the garlic bread the next step is to separate the slices of garlic bread as this will enable it to heat more quickly and you will also get the heat distributed evenly.

The garlic bread should then be placed on a microwave-safe plate with a towel above and below the garlic bread. The reason for the towel is that it will absorb any excess moisture reducing the chances of getting any soggy edges on the garlic bread.

The amount of time that you should turn the microwave on will vary depending upon a couple of factors which are the size of the garlic bread and the type of microwave. As a result of this, it is impossible to give you a precise amount of time that you should put garlic bread into the oven, however, as a general rule, it is a good idea to only put it in for a minute or two and then check it before deciding whether to put it in for longer.

Why Is Garlic Bread Normally Wrapped In Foil?

Garlic bread is traditionally wrapped in foil when it is heated in an oven because it enables moisture to be retained within the loaf of bread as it is heated. The advantage of this is that you get a fluffy texture in the middle of the loaf and you also get a crusty exterior which is the ideal texture.

However, if you particularly want to ensure that the bread develops a crunchy texture on the outside, many people will open up the foil for the last 2 or 3 minutes that the loaf spent in the oven, which will ensure that it is extra crunchy.

How To Make Garlic Bread From Scratch At Home

While it is common to purchase garlic bread pre-prepared from the grocery store it is also an extremely easy thing to make at home and you can produce much better quality loaves. The key to doing this, however, is to make sure that you choose a high-quality bread to make your garlic bread.

There is a range of choices that could be potentially used to make the garlic bread, however, I recommend making it from a breadstick from the local bakery which will be much fresher than anything that you can purchase from a grocery store.

Once the bread is selected the next important step is to prepare the garlic butter which will be applied to the bread. The easiest way to do this is to mix a teaspoon of minced garlic and a teaspoon of parsley with margarine or butter. However, to get the best possible result there are a couple of things that we do recommend that you do which will make a big difference.

Firstly, you will get a much stronger garlic flavor if you use fresh cloves rather than minced garlic from a jar. When adding the garlic it is important to crush it first and then slice it is finely as possible or alternatively simply put it into a garlic crusher.

The second this is we recommend is it you take fresh parsley from your garden, however, if you don’t have that available the other alternative is to use chives which are also extremely flavorsome,

Lastly, it is important to use butter rather than margarine because again it adds to the quality of the flavor and ultimately the end product.

Once the mixture of garlic and herbs is created you need to apply to the bread which should be sliced approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick. However, to maximize the amount of flavor that you get into the garlic bread it is a good idea to butter each slice on both sides as this will help the bread to absorb the fats and increase the flavor.

The garlic bread can then be wrapped in foil and placed in an oven if you are heating it that way or alternatively in the microwave.

Can You Eat Garlic Bread Cold?

You can eat garlic bread cold provided that the loaf that you have prepared is fresh and thawed. However, if you’re asking this question because you have garlic bread that has previously been heated you will generally find that the bread is very dry and crunchy and generally not that pleasant. However, theoretically, you still can eat it.

Can You Reheat Garlic Bread In A Microwave?

You can reheat garlic bread in the microwave that has previously been heated. This is particularly useful for recovering garlic bread that has gone stale because microwaves generally soften the texture of the bread when they heat it. However, one of the downsides of reheating garlic bread is that it does become extremely chewy when heated for a second time.