Garlic Asiago Bread

Week 461. Year 9. Tommy is 42. Holiday season. The cottage or the memory of the cottage. The family gathering or planning to gather. Luc (18) at LSU studying engineering. Colette (16) in high school, painting. The food is the constant — the roux and the rice and the cayenne that doesn't change even when everything else does.

Made seafood gumbo this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. The chain holds.

The gumbo was the main event — it always is — but every bowl of gumbo deserves something to drag through the bottom of it when the shrimp and okra are gone. I’ve been making this garlic asiago bread alongside the pot for years now, the kind of loaf that fills the second half of the house while the roux fills the first. Luc used to eat three slices before I could get the bowls on the table. Some things you keep making because they work, and because the people who love them keep showing up.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 loaf Italian or French bread (about 12–14 inches), halved lengthwise
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Preheat. Heat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
Make the garlic butter. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Mix until smooth and fully incorporated.
Prep the bread. Place both halves of the bread cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle each half lightly with olive oil, then spread the garlic butter evenly across both cut surfaces, going all the way to the edges.
Add the cheese. Distribute the shredded Asiago evenly over both halves, pressing lightly so it adheres to the butter.
Bake. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20–22 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beginning to turn golden at the edges and the bread is toasted through.
Broil for color. Switch oven to broil for the last 2–3 minutes, watching closely, until the top is bubbling and spotted with golden brown. Do not walk away during this step.
Finish and slice. Remove from the oven, scatter fresh parsley over both halves, and let rest for 2 minutes. Slice into individual portions and serve warm alongside soup, gumbo, or any meal that deserves good bread.

Nutrition (per serving)

Garlic Asiago Bread — The Loaf That Earns Its Place Beside the Gumbo