Mix fresh herbs, garlic, and olive oil to make this flavorful oil for dipping fresh bread.
If you remember my February Favorites or follow my Instagram stories, you might know I’ve been working my way through a bread cookbook. I’ve made a total of 14 (?!) loaves of bread, and I have several more to still try.
While I’ve been mostly eating the bread in the form of sandwiches or toast, it’s also been nice to bring it on visits to see family. Except when I do that, I’ve been wanting a more interesting way to serve the bread, other than with butter or straight-up.
A bread dipping oil is something I’ve been wanting to try for awhile to serve my homemade bread with. So I finally took some time to experiment with all the fresh herbs I currently have growing. And this garlic and herb dipping oil is what resulted.
The main ingredients are basil, parsley, garlic, and olive oil. The red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper take that a bit farther and add bit more depth to the overall flavor. And if you happen to have fresh Parmesan on hand, that makes it 10x better! (I mean, naturally…because cheese makes everything better.)
This olive oil blend tastes even better when it’s had a little time for the ingredients to infuse the oil. I served this with a “boule,” which is a round crusty bread. But once I get to the baguette recipe later in my bread baking book, that may be my go-to bread to pair with it.
Garlic & Herb Dipping Oil for Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tbs chopped parsley
- 1 Tbs chopped basil
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Pinch of sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Optional: 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a shallow bowl. Serve with a baguette or other fresh bread.
Adapted from Delish.com.
Since there are fresh ingredients in this, as well as cheese if you choose to add it, this will need to be stored in the fridge if you make it ahead or have leftovers. Olive oil tends to solidify when refrigerated, though, so you’ll need to bring it to room temperature before serving.
