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1
Set the oven to 190°C. In a bowl, combine the softened butter with the minced garlic and parsley, and the Parmesan if using. Work together until evenly mixed. The butter should look generously flecked with garlic throughout — no pale, under-seasoned patches.
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2
Spread the garlic butter across both cut faces of the bread. This is where the dish lives or dies: the butter must be abundant and cover the bread to every edge. Skimpy application cannot be corrected in the oven.
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3
For a crispy result, place the halves cut-side up, open-faced on a baking tray. Bake at 190°C for 10–12 minutes. The dish is ready when the edges are golden and the butter is visibly sizzling across the surface.
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4
For a soft, butter-saturated result, wrap the assembled loaf halves together in foil before baking at 190°C for the same 10–12 minutes. The bread is done when it yields fully to gentle pressure through the foil and the interior is steamed through.
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5
Remove from the oven and slice into portions immediately. The centre should be soft and butter-soaked; the edges, in the open-faced method, should be crisp and golden. The garlic aroma should be aggressive and present from across the table.