Homemade Garlic Knots
These pillowy soft, fluffy, and delicious homemade garlic knots made from scratch are simply heavenly. These are infused with some aromatic garlic butter and parsley for amazing flavors.
Ingredients
For Dough
- 3.5 cup All purpose flour
- 2 1/4 tsp Active dry yeast 1 packet
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp Salt
For Topping
- 1/4 cup Unsalted butter
- 4 large Garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tbsp Parsley dried
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Instructions
Activating The Yeast
- In a large bowl, add warm water (about 105℉), sugar, and active dry yeast. Mix and cover it. Let the mixture sit for 5-8 minutes and allow the yeast to bloom.
Making And Kneading The Dough
- Mix together all purpose flour, garlic powder, and salt in a bowl. Add the flour mixture little at a time into a yeast mixture. Begin to mix the dough with your hands or use a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.
- Add some oil to the dough and combine everything together. If you find the dough is sticky, add some more flour and keep kneading it until the dough forms together into a smooth ball - about 5-7 minutes.
Kneading The Dough With Hands
- Turn the dough out onto your clean kitchen countertop and start kneading the dough. Personally, I use a dough mat. Knead the dough by pushing with the base of your palm and bring the dough back to you to reform into a ball. Keep kneading the dough for about 8-10 minutes or until the dough feels soft and pillowy. It should have a stretchy and smooth exterior. You can add a few drops of oil or some flour if required.
Proofing The Dough
- Transfer the dough to the bowl and spread some oil on the top of the dough. Cover it with a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to proof in a warm place for about 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size. In colder temperatures, you can keep the bowl covered in an oven by keeping the light on, which will help the dough rise faster.
Shaping The Garlic Knots
- Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
- Transfer the dough onto your clean countertop. Punch down the dough with your fingers and knead the dough for 2 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal parts using a sharp knife or dough cutter. Keep one of the dough balls aside under a kitchen towel and transfer the other onto a work surface or to a dough mat.
- Roll a dough ball into an oblong shape about 8-9 inches long. Cut the dough into 8 pieces around 1 inch strips each. Start with your hands together in the center, then pull them outward as you roll to help stretch the dough. Try to create around 8-9 inches of a rope.
- Repeat the same process with the rest of the dough.
- Fold the log shaped dough into a U shape, bring the right side rope underneath the left side, and tie into a knot. You can leave the two ends or tuck them underneath.
- Place the garlic knot onto the baking pan. Finish making all of the knots in the same manner. Keep some space between them.
Proofing The Garlic Knots
- Cover each of the baking trays with a kitchen towel and allow the knots to proof for about 45 minutes or until they double in size.
- In a small bowl, melt some butter, combine the rest of the topping ingredients, and mix them well.
- Preheat the oven to 400℉/200℃
- Brush half of the buttery topping on the knots.
- Bake the knots for 20 minutes, or until they turn golden on the top and sound hollow when lightly tapped. Take them out of the oven and let them sit for 2 minutes on the countertop.
- Transfer them on a cooling rack, brush some prepared topping on top of each garlic knot, and serve.
Notes
- Activate the active dry yeast before proceeding to the next steps. If the yeast is not active do not proceed.
- Measure the ingredients correctly. Do not add too much flour or else your bread will turn hard. If you accidentally add too much flour, add a couple of tablespoons of water while making the dough.
- Lightly sprinkle the work surface with some flour before kneading the dough if the dough is sticky. I highly recommend using a dough mat for kneading the dough - I have found that the dough will not stick to it and is easy to handle.
- Use a sharp knife or a dough cutter for dividing the dough into equal parts and avoid tearing the dough with your hands - it will reduce the gluten strands which you have formed while kneading the dough.