Truffle Garlic Cheese Bread Recipe

Prep and preheat

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly oil it.

Slice the ciabatta loaf lengthwise so you have two even halves. If loaf is very tall, halve it horizontally to make 2 thinner layers for more even toasting.

Brush the cut sides lightly with the extra-virgin olive oil.

In a small bowl, combine the unsalted butter (or softened vegan butter), minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt and black pepper. Mix until evenly combined.

Stir in truffle oil and (if using) truffle paste or grated truffle. Start with 1 tsp truffle oil and taste the mixture; truffle oil is potent, so add incrementally if you want stronger aroma.

Spread the garlic-truffle butter evenly over the cut sides of the ciabatta, using all of the mixture.

If using fresh basil in the filling, tear or thinly slice half of the basil leaves and sprinkle them evenly over the buttered bread.

Evenly distribute shredded mozzarella and fontina over both ciabatta halves (or top half if making an open-faced sandwich). Reserve the grated parmesan to sprinkle on top.

If making the vegan option, swap in the vegan shredded cheeses in the same quantities and sprinkle vegan parmesan on top.

Lightly sprinkle the grated parmesan (or vegan parmesan) over the top of the shredded cheeses for a golden crust.

Place assembled ciabatta on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 10–14 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and edges of bread are golden.

For a more browned top, switch oven to broil on high and broil 1–2 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.

Remove from oven. Immediately drizzle an additional small touch (about 1/4 tsp total) of truffle oil over the hot melted cheese if you desire a stronger truffle aroma. Sprinkle red pepper flakes if using.

Scatter the remaining fresh basil chiffonade over the hot cheese and finish with a light sprinkle of coarse sea salt.

Let rest 2 minutes, then slice into 6–8 pieces and serve warm.