Garlic Bread Recipe Italian

Everybody loves warm bread when it arrives at the table, and when it has the scent of garlic wafting from it, you know it has the Italian touch.  The goal in making a good garlic bread is to rub the bread with the crushed garlic clove, not to load it with chopped garlic; remember, just the essence is enough to gratify your senses.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
12-inch loaf Italian bread without seeds
1 tspn dried oregano
Kosher salt for seasoning

Preparation:

1. Combine the olive oil and garlic in a small bowl, and steep about 30 minutes, to let the flavors mingle.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Split the bread in half lengthwise, then cut in half crosswise, to make four pieces.  Set the pieces, cut side up, on a baking sheet, and brush the bread with the flavored oil, rubbing with garlic cloves and leaving them on top.  Sprinkle with the dried oregano.
3. Bake until the bread is golden and crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Remove any large garlic pieces, and lightly season the bread with salt before serving.

Variation:
Garlic Bread Topped with Cheese (Pane Strofinato con Formaggio):  substitute 1/4 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano for the oregano.

Variation:
Garlic Bread Rubbed with Tomatoes (Pane Strofinato con Pomodoro):  Cut some ripe tomatoes in half crosswise.  While the baked bread is still hot, rub cut surfaces of the bread with the tomato halves, until the bread has absorbed the tomato juices, and the tomato pulp has rubbed onto the bread.  Season lightly with salt, drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil on top, and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Lidia's Favorite Recipes by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali.