When my mom visited a few months ago she filled our freezer with her homemade spaghetti sauce. We only finished the last bag this week, and to make the meal feel special I baked these cheesy garlic bread fingers to go with it.
This recipe began as a search for a baguette to turn into garlic bread. All I could find was a freezer-burnt hot dog bun, so I decided to make the bread from scratch instead.
I’ve been using instant or rapid-rise yeast a lot lately — quick-rise, rapid-rise, bread machine yeast: they behave the same for this purpose. The big advantage is skipping the initial long rise, which makes weeknight bread-baking realistic.
I adapted the dough from a focaccia recipe that worked well for me before. The method is simple: stir flour and water together, let the dough rise for about 30 minutes, then bake. The result is unbelievably good — hot, tender, fluffy bread under garlic butter and a blanket of gooey mozzarella. They reminded me of the cheese fingers I used to get at pizza places when I was a kid.
We used these to scoop up spaghetti and meat sauce, but they’re equally at home as a party appetizer served with warm marinara or a garlic sauce such as toum. They’re quick, comforting, and easy to make any night of the week.
No-Knead Cheesy Garlic Bread Fingers
Hot, tender, fluffy bread baked under garlic butter and a blanket of stretchy, gooey mozzarella. Serve with spaghetti, or as an appetizer with warm marinara.
Details
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 packet instant quick-rise or rapid-rise yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp)
- 3 cups grated mozzarella
- Marinara or toum for serving (or serve alongside spaghetti and meat sauce)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt.
- Combine the water, sugar, and olive oil in a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl. Heat on high for about 45 seconds, or until the liquid reaches 120°F–130°F. If it gets hotter, allow it to cool to that range before using.
- Add the warm liquid to the flour mixture and stir with a spoon until just combined into a shaggy dough.
- Spread the dough into a greased or parchment-lined 13 x 9-inch pan. Don’t worry if it doesn’t reach the corners or looks uneven.
- Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F with a baking stone or baking sheet on the lowest rack so it has time to heat through (about 30 minutes total preheat is ideal).
- After the dough has risen, use your finger to poke holes about every inch, pressing nearly to the bottom of the pan.
- Stir the minced garlic into the melted butter and drizzle it evenly over the dough. Use your fingers to spread the garlic butter across the surface.
- Sprinkle the grated mozzarella evenly over the top. Let the dough rest for an additional 15 minutes while the oven finishes preheating.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake the pan on top of the preheated baking stone or sheet for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, then cut into fingers and serve warm with marinara, toum, or alongside spaghetti and meat sauce.
