The Best Garlic Bread Bites

Ingredients

• 160 gmilk
• 120 gwater
• 12.5 ggranulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoonsinstant yeast or active dry yeast
• 440 g, plus more for dustingplain flour or strong white bread flour
• 8 gsalt
• 30 gunsalted butter, at room temperature
• 100 gbutter
• 4–5 clovesgarlic
• A pinch, if using unsalted buttersalt
• To tastefresh parsley, finely chopped
• To tasteflaky salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Warm the liquids

   Combine the milk and water and warm them until lukewarm, around 35–40°C. Pour into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.

2. 2

   Add yeast and sugar

   Mix the yeast and sugar into the warm liquid. If using active dry yeast, leave it for 5–10 minutes until foamy. With instant yeast, you can skip this wait and move straight to adding the flour.

3. 3

   Mix the dough

   Add the flour and salt, then stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until you have a thick, shaggy dough.

4. 4

   Knead briefly

   Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for a couple of minutes until it starts to become smoother. You can also do this with a stand mixer and dough hook.

5. 5

   Work in butter

   Put the room-temperature butter in the middle of the dough and fold the dough over it. Knead by hand or with the mixer for around 8 minutes, until the dough is strong and smooth. It may feel sticky at first; keep kneading until it comes together.

6. 6

   Let dough rise

   Put the dough in a lightly greased medium bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel, lid or cling film. Leave it in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1–1 1/2 hours depending on the room temperature.

7. 7

   Turn out dough

   Punch down the dough, then lift it out onto a lightly floured work surface.

8. 8

   Divide into bites

   Roll the dough into a 25 cm log. Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut it into 20 even pieces, each around 1.25 cm wide.

9. 9

   Make smaller bites

   For smaller bites, roll the dough into a 32 cm log and cut it into 25 pieces, each around 1.25 cm wide.

10. 10

    Shape the pieces

    Shape each piece into a small ball and arrange the balls in a greased or parchment-lined baking dish or on a large baking sheet.

11. 11

    Proof the bites

    Leave the dough balls in a warm place until they have doubled in size.

12. 12

    Prepare the garlic

    When the second rise is nearly complete, peel the garlic cloves and mince them, or chop them finely with a knife.

13. 13

    Start garlic butter

    Put the butter and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat.

14. 14

    Simmer the garlic

    Let the butter melt and come to a simmer. Cook the garlic for around 1 minute once simmering, then take the pan off the heat and leave it to cool for 5 minutes.

15. 15

    Brush the dough

    Use a pastry brush to coat the bites generously with about one-third of the melted butter. Leave the garlic pieces in the pan for now, so they do not burn in the oven.

16. 16

    Heat the oven

    While the buns rise, preheat the oven to 190°C.

17. 17

    Bake until golden

    Bake the garlic bread bites for around 20 minutes, until golden brown.

18. 18

    Add garlic butter

    If serving straight away, brush the baked bites generously with the remaining butter mixture, including all the minced garlic.

19. 19

    Finish with toppings

    Sprinkle with flaky salt and chopped parsley.

20. 20

    Finish before serving

    If you are not serving the bites straight away, wait to add the remaining butter and toppings. When ready to serve, melt the remaining butter again and coat the bites, then finish with the herbs and salt.

What are garlic bread bites?

Garlic bread bites are small, soft rolls with the familiar buttery garlic topping of garlic bread. This American-style appetiser takes the flavours of a shared garlic loaf and makes them easy to portion and pass around.

Yeasted dough gives these bites their fluffy interior, while the garlic butter, parsley and flaky salt bring savoury, fragrant flavour. Brushing them in stages helps keep the garlic from scorching during baking.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 129 calories, 2g protein, 14g carbs, 7g fat.

Most of the carbohydrates come from the flour, while the butter contributes most of the fat; the milk and flour provide some protein. Serve a few bites with a vegetable-rich salad or soup to make a more balanced plate.

Choosing the flour and yeast

Flour: Plain flour makes a tender dough, while strong white bread flour can give it a little more chew. Either is suitable here; add only a light dusting of extra flour when shaping.

Yeast: Instant yeast can be mixed straight into the warm liquid with the sugar. Active dry yeast benefits from a 5–10 minute wait until foamy, which also gives you a chance to check that it is working.

Kneading in the butter

Butter: First bring the dough together, then fold in the room-temperature butter and knead for around 8 minutes. The dough may turn sticky as the butter goes in, but continued kneading should bring it back to a smooth, stronger texture.

Cue: Look for dough that gathers together and feels smoother rather than relying on extra flour to solve stickiness. Too much flour can make the finished bites dense.

Getting the rise right

First rise: Give the covered dough a warm place to rise until doubled; the stated 1–1 1/2 hours is a guide, since room temperature affects the pace.

Shaped rise: After dividing and rounding the dough, wait again until the balls have doubled. Starting the garlic butter near the end of this rise keeps the topping preparation in step with the dough.

Keeping the garlic fragrant

Gentle heat: Let the garlic butter reach a simmer and cook the garlic for around 1 minute, then take it off the heat. This brief cooking perfumes the butter without needing to brown the garlic.

Two brushes: Brush the dough with about one-third of the butter before baking, leaving the garlic behind. Add the rest, including the garlic, after baking so the pieces do not burn in the oven.

Serving and timing

Doneness: The bites are ready after around 20 minutes, when they are golden brown. If you are unsure, check the colour across the centre of the tray as well as around its edges.

To serve: Add the remaining butter, parsley and flaky salt just before eating for the freshest finish. Offer the bites with pasta, soup or a salad, or set them out as a warm appetiser.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use a thermometer or touch to keep the milk and water lukewarm, not hot.
• Cover the dough during both rises so its surface does not dry out.
• Use a bench scraper to divide the dough cleanly into even portions.
• Leave the minced garlic in the butter pan when brushing before baking.
• Add the parsley and flaky salt close to serving so their flavour and texture stay fresh.

Variations

• Herb finish: Add finely chopped chives alongside the parsley.
• Cheesy topping: Scatter grated Parmesan over the bites after baking.
• Peppery butter: Add freshly ground black pepper to the melted butter.
• Chilli kick: Stir a pinch of chilli flakes into the butter after cooking the garlic.
• Smaller bites: Shape the dough into 25 pieces using the longer log described in the method.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Hot liquid: It can interfere with the yeast; warm the milk and water only until lukewarm.
• Rushing the rise: The dough may not become light; wait until it has doubled before shaping and again before baking.
• Adding too much flour: This can make the bites heavy; use just enough to keep the work surface lightly dusted.
• Browning the garlic: It can burn in the oven; leave it out of the first butter brushing and add it after baking.
• Uneven portions: Different-sized pieces may bake at different rates; cut the log into even pieces.

How to store

Store cooled bites in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat briefly in a warm oven until heated through, then add freshly melted garlic butter and toppings if you have held them back.

Frequently asked questions