I don’t know about you, but when I go to an Italian restaurant with free bread at the beginning of the meal, I am extremely happy.
Of course, I am there for the entree. But there’s something about a basket of bread to kick off the meal that makes everything better.
That’s probably why Bertucci’s is such a great dining experience. Before your fantastic main dish comes out, you’re met with fresh rolls and the best olive dipping sauce imaginable.
I don’t live near a Bertucci’s, so I’ve had to get creative at home so I can still enjoy that incredible bread dipping oil. Fortunately, it’s really easy to make yourself!
If you are also dreaming of that dipping sauce with fresh rolls and bread, give this easy dipping oil recipe a try. You don’t have to make an outing to the restaurant; you can start all of your homemade dinners with a glass of wine, some bread, and homemade dipping oil!
How to Make Bertucci’s Olive Oil Bread Dip
Making this bread dip couldn’t be easier and it’s a delicious starter for any meal! To make the bread dip, all you have to do is combine olive oil, minced garlic, and a blend of herbs and spices and stir. It’s really that simple. The bread dip will be ready in under five minutes for you to dip some fresh bread into.
What You’ll Need
This dipping oil recipe has quite a few ingredients, but most of them come from your spice cabinet! As long as you have a stocked pantry, you’ll likely have all the ingredients you need on any given day.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh garlic
- Red pepper flakes
- Garlic powder
- Dried basil
- Dried oregano
- Dried parsley
- Dried rosemary
- Black pepper
- Sea salt
- Your favorite crusty bread or fresh dinner rolls
- A small bowl for mixing
- Shallow bowls or dishes for serving
Expert Tips
- Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil. Really, this is the time to bring out your good stuff. You’ll be tasting the olive oil a lot and using a quality olive oil will make all the difference.
- Use fresh bread for dipping. Don’t get your stale bread out and expect it to be delicious. Grab some fresh bread at the bakery or whip up a batch of easy herb bread and enjoy it fresh from the oven.
- For best results, make your oil ahead of time. This is not an essential step, but if you make your oil 15-60 minutes ahead of when you want to eat, some of the flavors can infuse better.
- Make extra of everything; you’ll want it! This dipping oil is addictive. Get an extra loaf of bread and make some extra dipping oil. You’ll definitely want leftovers the next day.
How to Use Olive Oil Bread Dip
To use bread dipping oil in its intended way, you will need bread and a shallow dish. Prepare the oil in a shallow dish, then tear off pieces of bread and dip them in the oil. If you run out of oil and still have herbs in the bottom of the dish, add more oil as needed. It’s really that easy!
There are many other great uses for this seasoned oil, however. Use it to infuse some flavor into your other dishes.
- Mix it with some vinegar and use it as a salad dressing. Make a simple salad of crispy romaine lettuce, red onion, artichoke hearts, and romano cheese. It will be delicious with this olive oil.
- Drizzle over a Caprese salad of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil.
- Mix with some angel hair pasta and Romano cheese to make a simple, delicious pasta dish.
- Use it as the oil for focaccia bread. With some extra Italian herbs and grape tomatoes, you’ll have a fantastic bread (which you could dip in more dipping oil!).
Variations
This bread dip recipe is a take on Bertucci’s olive oil dipping oil. If you want to get creative and make it to suit your personal preferences, you certainly can! There are a few different ways to spice up this oil that will taste incredible.
Add fresh herbs: In addition to those dried herbs, try adding some fresh basil, oregano, rosemary, or thyme.
Add cheese: Some grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese in this oil will make it much more flavorful. You can’t really go wrong with adding cheese to something!
Add acid: Balance the sweetness of the oil with a little bit of tanginess. Add a drizzle of fresh lemon juice or balsamic vinegar to this oil for a tasty twist.
Use Italian seasoning: If you’re in a rush, you don’t have to measure out all of those spices. Just do a few teaspoons of Italian seasoning for a quick version of this oil. The flavor will be different, but it will still be absolutely delicious!
How to Make Dipping Oil Seasoning to Have on Hand
You don’t have to go through the hassle of mixing up all of those ingredients every time you want dipping oil. You can have a big batch of the dried herbs and spices on hand so whenever you want to make bread and oil, you can add the minced garlic and oil in minutes!
Little jars of this dipping oil seasoning also make great homemade gifts. Fill a jar and add a label with the contents and instructions for preparing the oil. You can add these to gift baskets and use them for hostess gifts, holiday gifts, and more.
To make this dipping oil seasoning, combine the following ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Then you can transfer the mixture to a jar and it will keep for months! This recipe yields four ounces of mix or about four servings of dipping oil. Feel free to make more as you desire.
- 4 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 4 teaspoons garlic powder
- 4 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
To prepare dipping oil from this mixture, use 6 teaspoons of the herb mix or as much as you’d like. Add a teaspoon of minced garlic and about ½ cup of olive oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is this dipping oil good for?
Because of the fresh garlic, I would keep leftover oil in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. If you omit the fresh garlic, this oil will last many weeks at room temperature.
What kind of bread is best for dipping in oil?
I prefer rustic, crusty bread, but you can use your favorite bread. It is delicious with soft French bread, sourdough, focaccia bread, ciabatta bread, and fresh dinner rolls.
What kind of oil is best for dipping bread into?
Extra virgin olive oil is the best oil for making a bread dip. It is the least processed, most healthy, and most flavorful oil. I recommend splurging on a higher quality olive oil as the flavor really does improve drastically with better olive oils.
What is bread dip made of?
Bread dip is made up of olive oil, a variety of dried herbs and spices, and occasionally some balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. The flavors of the other ingredients infuse into the oil and make for a flavorful dip for fresh bread.
More Delicious Recipes
Have a nice dinner at home with these other easy-to-make copycat recipes:
- Better-than-Carrabba’s Minestrone Soup
- Olive Garden Eggplant Parmesan
- Frozen Peach Bellini from Cheesecake Factory
Bertucci’s Olive Oil Dip for Bread | Easy Copycat
Ingredients
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Combine minced garlic and all of the herbs and spices in a small mixing bowl. Stir well.
- Transfer the mixture to shallow bowls and fill each bowl with olive oil. Serve with your favorite bread or rolls. Add more oil as needed.
3 Responses
I always add Parmesan cheese to it. Bertucci’s had that in there as well. I would add it with the minced garlic as it does need to be refrigerated.
This recipe is very good and so easy to put together. I especially love the idea of making a large batch of the dry seasonings and keeping it in a jar for use at a later date!
Why would it have a bitter taste?