Garlic Herb Twist Bread

This Garlic Twist Bread recipe is such a beautiful and delicious alternative to regular garlic bread.  It’s packed with Italian herbs, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese and makes a delicious snack or side for sopping up pasta sauce.

Like other breads, this twisted garlic bread can be made the night before and stored in the fridge. The next day, all you need to do is pull it from the oven and bake.

Italian Garlic Twist Bread

This savory Italian twist garlic bread recipe is bursting with flavor, and much simpler to make than it looks.  It’s got all of the buttery garlic flavor that you love about plain garlic bread, but with a sophisticated twist (get it?). 

You can pull this baby out for a nice dinner, but it really is easy enough to make as a side for your everyday spaghetti night. To make things even easier, we made sure that this recipe makes 2 loaves so you can always freeze one for later.  Easy peasy! 

If you love this recipe, you should also give our Pull-Apart Garlic Bread, Nutella Twist Bread and Cinnamon Twist Bread a try.  It’s equally delicious and oh-so-fun to eat.

Key Ingredients

• Water – you want your water to be between 95-105 degrees F.  This helps to activate the yeast.
• Sugar – you can also substitute honey if you would like.  
• Yeast – we use active dry yeast in this recipe, which needs to be “proofed.”
• Olive Oil – you can also substitute any other cooking oil.
• Flour – we use all-purpose flour in this recipe, but you can also substitute bread flour.
• Italian Seasoning – this is a must have for making Italian bread. You should be able to find this pre-mixed in the spice section at the grocery store. Otherwise, you can make your own by combining equal amounts of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and a pinch of garlic powder and red chili flakes.
• Butter – you can use either salted or unsalted melted butter for the filling.
• Parmesan Cheese – fresh grated is a great Italian bread cheese.

How To Make Garlic Twist Bread

Make the Garlic Herb Bread Dough

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, add warm water (between 95-105 degrees Fahrenheit), sugar, and yeast.  Stir, and let sit for 5-10, or until frothy.
2. Add the oil, salt and about 3 cups of flour.  Using the dough hook, mix on low for 1-2 minutes, or until the flour has all mixed in.  Continue to add another 2 1/2-3 cups of flour, mixing on low until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Mix for another 2 minutes on low, and add a little more flour if the dough feels sticky.
3. Once mixed, cover the bowl with a towel, and let the garlic herb bread dough rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes.

Swirl the Dough

1. Once your dough has rested, transfer onto a lightly floured surface and separate into 2 equal pieces.
2. Using a rolling pin, gently roll each piece of dough into a rectangle that is roughly 14″ x 10″. Brush each rectangle with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, then sprinkle each with 1/2 tablespoons of garlic salt, 1/2 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, making sure they are evenly spread.
3. Roll each herbed bread log up starting at the longer end so you have 2 long rolls.  Use a sharp knife and cut down the center of each roll so you have four long halves total.  Take 2 halves and pinch the ends on one side together, then twist the dough together loosely.  Gently lay the garlic bread twist into your prepared 9”x5” loaf pan, tucking both ends under.  Repeat with the other two halves. 

Bake

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cover both herb bread loaf pans with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes, or until the dough has doubled.
3. Once they have doubled in size, bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and baked through.  Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before removing from the loaf pans.  While still warm, drizzle cinnamon roll icing over the bread. Serve warm, or let the bread cool before slicing.  Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

• Cinnamon Twist Bread – check out our recipe for this sweet, simple Cinnamon Twist Bread.
• Nutella Twist Bread – for the filling, spread about ½ cup per loaf over the dough before rolling up and twisting!
• Bacon Cheddar Twist Bread – sprinkle ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese and ¼ cup of bacon bits evenly over each loaf of dough before rolling up for a super savory treat.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Easy Homemade Bread Recipes

• Homemade Cheesy Breadsticks
• Rustic Cheddar Cheese Bread
• Homemade White Bread
• Einkorn Dinner Rolls
• Easy Pizza Dough
• Cheese Filled Pull Apart Rolls
• More Bread Recipes
• More Easy Side Dishes

This Garlic Bread Twist recipe has all of the buttery garlic flavor that you love about plain garlic bread, but with a sophisticated twist.  It’s packed with Italian herbs, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese and makes a delicious snack or side for sopping up pasta sauce.