Garlic Bread with Parsley Butter

1. 1Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / 400°F.
2. 2Grate the garlic on a microplane straight into a bowl, or crush it with the flat of a knife and the fine salt until it becomes a smooth paste. Chopped garlic sits in visible pieces that scorch in the oven and taste harsh — a paste disappears into the butter instead.
3. 3Beat the garlic paste into the softened butter along with the parsley, cheese and chilli flakes if using. The butter must be genuinely soft, not melted: melted butter runs straight out of the bread and pools on the tray.
4. 4Cut the loaf on a diagonal at roughly 3 cm intervals, slicing down to within about 1 cm of the base so the slices stay joined.
5. 5Work the butter generously into every cut, right down to the bottom, then smear whatever is left over the top crust.
6. 6Wrap the loaf loosely in foil and bake for 12 minutes, so the inside steams and the butter soaks through.
7. 7Open the foil out flat and bake for another 5–8 minutes, until the exposed edges are deep golden and crisp. Finish with flaky salt and eat immediately, while the crust still shatters.

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