2 of my most favourite foods in the world would have to be pizza & garlic bread, and i’m sure most of you would share this same love with me. When they are combined into one, trust me – it’s one of the most delicious and easiest things to make. I’ve shared this recipe with you before but upgrading it with a few tweaks which i think make it soo much better. I would definitely bring this to my next dinner gathering.

Ingredients & Tips!

1. Roasted Garlic: garlic is good but roasted garlic is sooooo good. Roasting your garlic low and slow makes it milder but so much sweeter. The nuttiness of the garlic comes out while the harsh flavours are muted – which i think elevates this dish. Think garlic but sophiscated is how i would describe it.
2. Burrata: my love for burrata is never ending. If you are new to burrata, it’s essentially an Italian cheese that is made up of 2 types of cheeses: mozarella on the outside and Stracciatella on the inside. What is Stracciatella you might ask? It’s shredded mozzarella cheese soaked in fresh cream – sooo delicious! There’s something about fresh milk cheese that makes everything tastes creamier and you can really taste the flavour of the milk. If you cannot find burrata, of course use mozarella!
3. Marinara: instead of your classic tomato sauce or passata, try marinara! it’s so much more flavourful and complex, and i think it adds so much more flavour to this dish. You can of course (and i would highly recommend) usee store-bought marinara for ease and convenience but if you’re up for the challenge, homemade ones are so good too.
4. Bread: i used a good ol’ crusty Pane di Casa. I think any good crusty white loaf will be great for this recipe. I generally stay away from sourdough for these types of recipe as the crust is a bit too chewy and dense for me, but if that speaks to you then please go for it!
5. Garlic butter: it’s a classic garlic butter, consists of good quality butter, the roasted garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.
6. Pepperoni: pepperoni is great in this recipe but also feel free to use other types of cured meats like proscuitto or salami, they are great options also. And if you want this to be vegetarian, then please feel free to leave out the meat completely – honestly, it would still be delicious and much lighter too!
7. Storage: recommended to consume this within a day but if this is not possible, you can store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days! Reheat by simple place under the broiler or into the airfryer at 180C/350F until well heated and crispy.
8. Honey: before you question my sanity on adding honey to pizza, please try it before you knock it! It’s honestly my favourite ingredient to add onto pizza after chilli oil. The sweetness of the honey adds interest and another layer of complexity to the pizza – and it wonderfully compliments the spiciness of the pepperoni so well.
9. Basil: for health (lol)
10. Storage: i highly recommend you consume the garlic bread fresh out of the oven while it’s still warm and crispy, and within 1 hour for best taste. If this is not possible, you could store it in an air-tight container and in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Remember that while storing bread in the fridge extends the freshness of your bread for longer, it also dries out your bread. When you’re ready to consume it again, just pop it onto a baking tray and place it under the broiler for a few minutes or until warmed through and crispy. You can also do this in an airfryer.

Ingredients

1 loaf of crusty Italian bread (I used Pane di Casa), halved
1 garlic bulb, top removed
4tbsp butter
3tbsp parlsey, minced
1 cup Rao’s Homemade Marinara sauce
1-2 burrata cheese
Pepperoni
Basil
Honey

Method

1. Roasted garlic: place your garlic bulb in a small baking dish, top with olive oil, salt & pepper. Bake at 180C/350F for 1-1.5 hours or until soft and golden brown.
2. In a bowl, squeeze out the roasted garlic and combine it with butter, parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper. Spread your garlic butter mixture evenly onto your bread and broil at 180C/350F for 15-25 minutes or until golden brown (keep an eye on it!)
3. Once your bread is toasty, top with some marinara sauce and pepperoni, and place it back in the oven until the pepperoni is crispy (roughly another 15 minutes).
4. Top with burrata, basil and honey. Cut and serve.