The bigger the bread, the more room for garlic butter. Bring on the Texas Toast. This popular freezer aisle goody becomes a homemade cinch with just four ingredients in less than 15 minutes!
This is the absolute easiest road to making homemade garlic toast, and you can count on this easy side dish to remain in high demand from its first debut out of your oven! It's pillowy soft on the inside, buttery, garlicky, and crunchy on the outside. Serve it as an appetizer or alongside just about any comfort food meal or pasta dinner.
Love all things delicious and carby? Try these copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits next!
WHAT IS TEXAS TOAST
Texas Toast is bread that has been sliced double the thickness of an average slice of bread. The sliced bread gets a generous spread garlic butter on both sides and is either grilled or baked to golden perfection.
Because of its thickness, Texas Toast is loved for staying pillowy soft on the inside, with a crunchy, crispy exterior.
WHY IS IT CALLED TEXAS TOAST?
Texas Toast likely originated at a BBQ restaurant called the Pig Stand in Denton, Texas, where Texas caught on and couldn't get enough. Hence the name, "Texas Toast." Although the name likely also has to do with the thickness of the bread; after all, I'm sure you've heard, everything is bigger in Texas. While we are talking about Texas... We have a whole page dedicated to Texas-Inspired Recipes, check them out!
Ironically, it was New York Bakery who famously commercialized, and you can find their conveniently packaged product on the freezer aisle of just about any grocery chain.
HOW TO MAKE TEXAS TOAST
- Melt the Butter - To make the garlic butter mixture, you'll add the butter, oil, garlic powder, and salt to a microwave-safe bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Microwave the mixture for about 30 seconds (or until the butter has completely melted).
- Stir and Add Parsley - Remove the butter from the microwave and stir until the garlic powder and salt have completely dissolved. Then, add in the minced parsley and stir once more.
- Slice the Bread - Use a sharp, serrated knife to slice the bread, taking care not to squish it while you work! Cut it into thick, 1" slices and place it on a baking sheet.
- Butter the Bread - Using a basting or pastry brush, generously brush both sides of the bread with the garlic butter. If you don't have a brush, slowly drizzle a scant amount of butter over each slice and use the back of the spoon to help it spread to the edges.
- Bake - Bake the bread at 425° for 4 minutes. Then, turn each slice and bake for 4 minutes more.
HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE TO BAKE IT?
How long you bake Texas Toast depends on just how golden and crispy you like your edges!
For a less "toasty" slice, you can bake it for as little as 5 minutes. For truly crispy garlic toasts, you'll probably want to go for the full 8 minutes, and be sure to take the extra step to turn the bread halfway through its stint in the oven!
HOMEMADE TEXAS TOAST GARLIC BREAD INGREDIENTS
- Bread | When purchasing the bread for Texas Toast, it is really best if you can score it fresh from the bakery counter. Not only that, but you also want the loaf to be unsliced so you can cut your own. Remember, Texas Toast is hearty and thick, and the bakery likely doesn't slice their bread a solid inch thick!
- Unsalted Butter | You can't have garlic toast without the butter! Unsalted butter was used to develop this recipe, and it really is best as it gives you complete control over the sodium level. However, if you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it, but you'll need to omit the salt from the recipe entirely.
- Oil | The oil in this recipe plays an important role. It is what keeps your bread perfectly golden and prevents it from burning under such high heat. Be sure to use a flavorless oil, such as canola or avocado oil!
- Garlic Powder | For simplicity sake, we went with garlic powder over fresh garlic for this Texas Toast Recipe. If you'd prefer fresh garlic, omit the garlic powder and add 3-4 cloves of minced fresh garlic to the butter and oil mixture before microwaving it!
BEST BREAD FOR TEXAS TOAST
The best bread for Texas Toast is white bread, fresh from the bakery. You want a loaf of bread that is nice and soft, and you want it to be somewhat smaller in width (but preferably larger than the size of a baguette). A smaller French loaf or a loaf of home-style white bread is ideal.
Baguettes (even fresh) can tend to be a bit hard on the outside and chewy on the inside. This isn't ideal for Texas Toast, but it could work in a pinch.
CAN I USE PRE-SLICED BREAD?
If you can't find the suggested bread for Texas Toast, you can use sliced bread -- no problem! You'll just need to watch it closely in the oven, as it will likely require less cooking time. The thinner the bread, the quicker it will crisp up.
CAN I MAKE IT CHEESY?
If you're aiming for cheesy Texas Toast, feel free to add about a ½ cup of shredded parmesan or about 1 ½ cup of freshly grated Mozzarella to the ingredient list!
Just add a pinch to the top of each slice before baking and skip the step in which you turn over the slices halfway through baking.
CAN I FREEZE IT?
You can make a big batch of Homemade Texas Toast, freeze the leftovers, and you'll have a stash to pull from on busy weeknights and those nights you just don't feel like cooking! It will bake up just as delicious the second-go-round as it did the first!
HOW TO FREEZE HOMEMADE TEXAS TOAST
To freeze it, allow your bread to cool to room temperature, then place it in a freezer-safe, zip-top bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal.
You can also freeze it in loaf-form by simply lining up the toasts, centered over a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and wrapping it tightly. Add another layer of aluminum foil for good measure and freeze. Use within three months for best results!
HOW TO COOK FROZEN TEXAS TOAST
To cook frozen Homemade Texas Toast, preheat the oven to 425°F and lay the frozen toasts out on a baking sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes, then turn the toasts over and return to the oven to cook another 4-5 minutes more. Need more sides to serve alongside your dishes? Bookmark our Side Dishes to come back to!
5 MORE TEXAS RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
Texas Toast
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup canola or avocado oil
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon minced, fresh parsley (optional)
- 1 loaf fresh, bakery white bread (such as a homestyle white bread, a small French loaf, or a baguette)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and have ready a large baking sheet.
- Place the butter, oil, garlic powder, and Kosher salt in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for about 30 seconds (or until melted).
- Stir while the butter mixture is hot until the spices dissolve. Add the parsley and stir once more.
- Slice the bread into generous 1"-thick slices using a sharp serrated knife and lay on the baking sheet. Brush both sides of each slice of bread generously with the garlic butter.
- Bake on the middle shelf for 4 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven, turn over each slice, and return to bake for another 3-4 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Patricia says
I’m handicapped and looking forward to finding recipes that I can make and enjoy with my family or friends. I like recipes that are easy and simple. Recipes that are down home tasting: bursting with flavor, bright in color, and the spices kiss the food tenderly to enhance the flavors on the plate. We all know that everything is better with butter, which is what I slather on this wonderfully baked Italian loaf of scali bread fresh out of the oven. Mmmmmm! I’m in heaven!
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you, Patricia!