Homemade garlic knots covered in butter, garlic and parmesan cheese are perfect dipped in marinara sauce or as a side dish all on their own.
Ingredients
For The Dough
1teaspoonsugargranulated
1cupwarm watershould be warm to the touch but not hot
2 1/4teaspoonsactive dry yeastone packet
2 ½cupsflour
1teaspoonsalt
2tablespoonsolive oil
For The Garlic Topping
6tablespoonsbutterunsalted, melted
1tablespoongarlicminced, or 3 garlic cloves minced
1tablespoonItalian parsleychopped, fresh
¼teaspoongarlic salt
¼cupparmesan cheesegrated
Instructions
Proofing The Yeast
In a bowl add the sugar, warm water and the active dry yeast (measured or one packet) and stir. This can be done right in the base of a stand mixer or in a separate bowl. The water you use should be warm to the touch, but not super hot or you may kill the yeast.
Allow the yeast to set for 5-10 minutes. This is called proofing, and allows the yeast to begin to grow and expand. Your mixture should turn frothy looking on top, and should smell a bit earthy. If the yeast doesn’t have frothy bubbles on the top after 10 minutes, you may need to try again with new yeast.
Mixing The Garlic Knots Dough
Mix together the flour and salt. Add the flour mixture and olive oil to the yeast mixture.
Using a dough attachment mix until the flour combines, about a minute. Turn the speed up on the mixer to medium and mix for 3-5 minutes. The dough should pull away from the bowl, be stretchy when you pull the dough hook out of the bowl and be smooth.
Letting The Dough Rise
Oil a bowl generously. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place the dough in a warm place to allow it to rise for 50 minutes or until doubled.
Shaping The Dough
Prepare a baking sheet using parchment paper or a light spray of oil.
Add a light sprinkle of flour to a clean surface and to the dough and knead 3-4 times. Divide the dough into twelve equal pieces on the lightly floured surface with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
Roll each ball into an eight inch rope. Tie each long rope into a knot and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.
Baking The Garlic Knots
Bake the garlic knots at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
While the garlic knots bake, mix together melted butter, garlic, and parsley. Brush the butter mixture on freshly baked knots when they are warm from the oven. Sprinkle with grated parmesan. Enjoy!
Notes
If you are unsure about the temperature of your water, think of the water being about the same temperature as a warm bath when you touch it. If you’re checking your water with a thermometer, it should be about 110 degrees.
If you don’t have a stand mixer or food processor with a dough attachment, you can mix the dough by hand but it takes longer. Expect when mixing in the flour mixture into the dough to knead the dough for at least five to seven minutes. This ensures that the flour is fully combined and the dough becomes stretchy and elastic. If the dough feels too sticky after kneading for several minutes you can add a little more flour, usually between a teaspoon and a tablespoon at a time.
When you’re letting the dough rise, if you are mixing in a stand mixer you can let the dough rise right in the bowl. Remove the dough from the stand mixer after mixing, oil the bowl with olive oil, then add the dough back to the bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
After the first 30 minute rise, you can cover with plastic wrap or put it in a zip top bag to store in the fridge if you are prepping ahead..
Sometimes I'll also add 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning in the butter mixture, but it's totally optional.
Easily double or triple this recipe by hitting the 2x or 3x button, and the ingredient amounts will double or triple for you.