Italian Olive Oil Bread Dip

I attempted a bunch of various blends, and this one? Fingers-down my favourite. The combo of spices, contemporary garlic, and that scorching oil pour-over trick hits excellent. Everybody who’s tried it says the identical. It’s ridiculously simple to make at house, and actually? Blows any restaurant model out of the water.

Pair this scrumptious dip with our Sourdough Bread or Rustic Garlic Artisan Bread.

I examined an entire lineup of herb and spice blends, tweaking one factor at a time like a complete kitchen nerd. I attempted heating the oil, and I attempted skipping it. Because it seems, that further step is 100% price it. Only a few minutes makes the flavour far more intense. I additionally went head-to-head with contemporary garlic vs powdered, and contemporary garlic gained by a mile when it’s steeped in that scorching olive oil. This model proper right here? It’s the one which got here out on prime. Candy, peppery, tangy, with simply the proper little kick.

Ingredient Notes

• Additional Virgin Olive Oil: Use a high-quality olive oil for this recipe. The flavour is extra necessary as you’ll be tasting it straight in your bread, reasonably than cooking with it.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is most popular, adopted by frozen, then dehydrated or granulated minced garlic.
• Crushed Crimson Pepper Flakes: Provides only a trace of warmth. Double it if you wish to deliver extra warmth, or depart it out solely when you aren’t into spicy.
• Paprika: Provides shade and a refined sweetness.
• Salt: I like to recommend utilizing a rough salt like kosher, sea salt, Himalayan pink salt, or a flaky salt for its gentle, crunchy texture.
• Pepper: Freshly cracked black pepper is used for its spicy and pungent taste.
• Balsamic Vinegar: Provides acidity that balances the richness of the oil.

Recent vs Dried Garlic

Recent: On this recipe, I exploit contemporary minced garlic, which I extremely advocate! The contemporary garlic infuses a lot taste into the olive oil, particularly when heated. Jarred garlic may work and is tremendous handy, however usually has a extra bitter taste.

Frozen: Not everybody needs to peel garlic and mince it each time they cook dinner, so an in depth second to contemporary garlic is frozen. You’ll be able to simply discover these little trays of pre-portioned frozen garlic at your grocery retailer, or you may make your personal! I like to recommend you employ a meals processor, then fill a resealable plastic bag with the minced garlic and part into teaspoon-sized blocks utilizing a knife or bench scraper.

Dried: I do know you don’t all the time have contemporary garlic readily available or could not have the time! On this case, granulated or dehydrated minced garlic is massively most popular! The flavour is way more pungent than powdered, with a refined sweetness and a slight chunk. Powdered garlic has a milder taste and is extra finely milled, making it clump extra simply when combined within the oil.

Heating the Oil

You may not imagine it, however heating your oil makes an enormous distinction and solely takes an additional 5 minutes! You can merely combine the spices and garlic with the oil and let it sit, however heating the oil first aids within the infusion course of, permitting for the spices to launch a a lot stronger taste.