Tuesday Dinners

Garlic Knots

Because “Garlic Lines” isn’t any fun.

⏲️ Prep Time
15 minutes (+105 minutes rest)

⏲️ Cook Time
15 minutes

🍴 Makes
12

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2 1/4 teaspoon (one package) yeast
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 – 2.5 cups flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • [Optional] Parmesan cheese

Topping

  • 3 cloves of garlic, diced/grated
  • 2 tablespoons of some fat (olive oil/butter/etc.)

Directions

  1. Activate your yeast in warm water with the sugar added
  2. Add your flour and salt, mix until smoot and then knead dough until elastic
  3. Cover and let rise one hour
  4. Divide the dough into a dozen pieces, roll each piece into a long rope, then tie a knot like you would a shoelace, tuck in edges of rope
  5. Let rise another 30 minutes
  6. In a bowl melt butter/some type of fat and mix in garlic
  7. Spread mixture over the top of your knots
  8. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes

Step by Step Directions

Activate your yeast (fancy way of saying throw it in some warm water with sugar so the yeast can feed on it). Throwing your water in the microwave (without the yeast) for 30 seconds to a minute should work just fine.

Add your salt and flour to the yeast mixture and stir it all together, keep adding flour until it becomes a solid ball.

Take it out of the bowl and knead it for a couple of minutes, this will help build the stretch we’re looking for to be able to shape the knots.

Cover and let rise for an hour.

Now we need to shape the dough. I like to make a dozen or so knots with the dough, but if you want to 1.5x or double the recipe that can work as well, just so long as you are able to get the dough into a knot.

Typically I roll out the divided pieces into a long rope (or worm/snake/log). Then I pick up the ends and cross them over each other. Finally, I take one of the ends and pull it through the hole in the center to make a knot.

Alternatively, I have also done this by making the long rope, then making two loops next to each other, then pulling one of the loops through the other. Slightly different shape/method but it works as well.

Let your newly formed knots rest for another 30 minutes covered.

You’ll want to make a garlic infused mixture to spread over the top of your knots. I’ve found two ways to do this that I like, both involve the microwave.

Essentially, pick your fat (butter, olive oil, etc.) then throw it in a microwave safe bowl, mix your shredded/grated/chopped garlic and then microwave for either 15-30 seconds, or until your butter is melted.

If you want, you can also throw your cheese in with this as well, it makes the mixture a little thicker, but if that sounds appealing to you then go nuts.

Spread your mixture over the tops of your knots. If you don’t have a brush or anything to spread the mixture I’ve found that a strip of paper towel works just as well, just tear it off and dip it in your container then drape it over your dough, and repeat until you’ve used up all your mixture.

If you want you can also sprinkle some parmesan on top.

Throw your topped knots into a 425 degree oven and bake until your desired color is achieved (15 minutes usually serves me pretty well).

Enjoy.

Variations

  • Add your garlic and parmesan directly into the dough (before first rise)
  • Make a pizza instead
  • Change the shape of the dough, try balls instead of knots, or see how many knots you can make, or braid several pieces together and make a pull apart

Unsolicited Feedback

  • LK: If I don’t know how to tie my shoes can I make Garlic Velcro instead?
  • CD: Too much garlic, couldn’t eat.
  • PF: These are great, but they would be even better if they were flat, had some tomato sauce and we swapped the parmesan for mozzarella.