Ingredients

makes 1 loaf

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

　　

Step 2

Slice 1 baguette or loaf of French bread in half lengthwise and spread both sides with soft unsalted butter. Smash and mince 2 garlic cloves and sprinkle evenly over the butter.

　　

Step 3

For soft bread, wrap in foil and heat in the oven until the butter is melted and the bread is warm. For crispy bread, place open-face on a baking sheet and bake to melt the butter and lightly toast. Serve warm.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.