Make the garlic butter: In a small bowl, mix together unsalted butter, softened, garlic cloves, minced or grated, fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, sea salt, and pinch freshly ground black pepper until well combined. If you're using parmesan, finely grated (optional), stir that in too. Taste it it should be buttery, garlicky, and well-seasoned.

Slice the bread: Cut the baguette or Italian loaf in half lengthways so you have two long flat pieces. If you prefer individual slices, cut on a diagonal into thick pieces without cutting all the way through the base this keeps the loaf together while still letting the butter get into every cut.

Butter the bread: Spread the garlic butter generously over the cut sides of the bread, going right to the edges. Don't be shy here the butter is the whole point.

Wrap and bake: Wrap the buttered loaf loosely in foil, place on the baking tray, and bake for 15 minutes. This steams the inside and makes it soft and fragrant all the way through.

Open and crisp: Open the foil and fold it back to expose the surface. Return to the oven for a further 5–6 minutes until the edges are golden and slightly crisp.

Serve warm: Pull from the oven and serve immediately. If you want to keep it warm while finishing the pasta, wrap loosely back in the foil it will stay soft and steamy for another 10 minutes.