Garlic Knots
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A recipe for homemade garlic knots featuring a scratch-made bread dough, herbed garlic butter topping, and plenty of Parmesan cheese. I like to serve mine alongside pasta dishes like baked ziti or spaghetti and lentil meatballs, or as an accompaniment to salad or soup. And don’t forget the marinara sauce for dipping!
What Inspired My Homemade Garlic Knots?
Soft, warm, and herby, you’ll find these knot-shaped bread rolls at pizzerias all across New York City, where they got their start as a way to use up leftover scraps of dough. When I first moved to New York City for a costume design internship (waaaay back in the summer of 2004), I sublet a studio apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, around the corner from Famous Original Ray’s. (Whether the neighborhood pizza spot is famous or original remains an entirely different story…) Along with my go-to margherita slice, I would often grab a garlic knot or two for dinner on my way home from the midtown TV studio where I worked.
This easy recipe brings my memories of the classic New York City pizzeria straight to your kitchen. Kneaded by hand, with no stand mixer or special tools required, these homemade garlic knots are perfectly chewy, garlicky but not overpoweringly so, and of course, sprinkled with copious amounts of grated Parmesan cheese!
Key Ingredients
- Flour – I tested this recipe with bread flour; but you can vary the texture and chewiness by choosing all-purpose or plain flour or combining multiple types of flour.
- Olive Oil – Choose a quality extra virgin olive oil for the bread dough. You’ll have plenty left over for cooking, roasting vegetables, or drizzling over homemade focaccia bread. For more garlic flavor, replace the EVOO with garlic oil.
- Yeast – For convenience, I prefer to work with instant yeast. If using active dry yeast, you’ll need to prove the yeast in the lukewarm water before combining it with the other ingredients. And if using active dry or fresh yeast, do your best to make sure it doesn’t come into direct contact with the salt, which can kill the yeast and ruin your dough.
- Butter – Unsalted butter works best for the brushed topping. If using salted butter, omit the kosher salt or the finished knots will taste too salty. I prefer Diamond Crystal kosher salt for breadmaking, but other salts will work, too.
- Dried Herbs – Garlic powder, dried basil, and dried oregano flavor the herbed garlic butter. If desired, you can experiment with other dried Italian herbs like dried parsley, dried rosemary, or dried thyme. Don’t use fresh herbs for the butter topping; they’re a little too chunky to apply with a pastry brush. Instead, save fresh herbs to sprinkle over the baked, buttery knots for a pop of bright green color and a fresh, herb-forward flavor.
- Garnishes – I usually garnish my warm garlic rolls with finely chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese. If you don’t like parsley you can substitute another finely chopped green herb, such as oregano, basil, thyme, or chives.
Recipe Substitutions
- Make vegan garlic knots. The bread dough itself is naturally vegan. To make vegan-friendly garlic knots, replace the unsalted butter in the topping with a vegan butter substitute. And instead of Parmesan, sprinkle the knots with flakes of nutritional yeast, or double up on the fresh parsley instead.
- Add fresh garlic. Some garlic knot recipes (and some pizzerias) add fresh garlic to their garlic butter mixture. I’ve skipped it here because I’m not a fan of anything overly garlicky, and I don’t care for the aftertaste. If you’re a garlic lover, feel free to stir 1-2 teaspoons of finely chopped garlic into the melted butter along with the other herbs and spices. And while jarred minced garlic sometimes gets a bad rap, for garlic butter I actually prefer it to fresh because it’s easier to work with (no peeling!), and lacks the sharp bite of freshly chopped garlic cloves.
Garlic Knots
- Total Time0 hours
- Yield12 knots 1x
A recipe for homemade garlic knots featuring a scratch-made bread dough, herbed garlic butter topping, and plenty of Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
Dough:
285 grams bread flour (2 1/4 cups; 1o ounces), plus more for dusting
180 milliliters lukewarm water (3/4 cup)
15 milliliters olive oil (1 tablespoon), plus more for coating and brushing
7 grams instant yeast (2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Garlic Butter Topping:
60 grams unsalted butter (4 tablespoons; 2 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
To garnish:
Grated Parmesan cheese
Finely minced fresh parsley
Instructions
Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine bread flour, water, instant yeast, granulated sugar, olive oil, and kosher salt. With a bench scraper, mix together until a shaggy dough forms.
Turn dough out onto generously floured countertop. With your hands, knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
Shape into a smooth ball. Place in an oiled bowl, then coat the dough with more oil.
Cover bowl with clingfilm/plastic wrap. Allow to stand in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
Punch dough down.
With a kitchen scale, divide into 12 portions, each weighing about 40-45 grams.
On a lightly floured countertop, roll each portion into a rope, about 8-10 inches in length. Tie each rope into a knot.
Arrange on prepared tray.
With a pastry brush, brush dough knots with a thin coat of olive oil.
Cover tray with clingfilm/plastic wrap. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes more.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C).
Remove clingfilm/plastic wrap. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
Meanwhile, prepare the garlic butter topping.
Garlic Butter Topping:
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the garlic powder, dried basil, and dried oregano.
With a pastry brush, brush garlic butter topping over warm knots.
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and finely minced fresh parsley. Serve warm.
Wrap leftover garlic knots in aluminum foil. Store at room temperature for up to 1 day.
Serving Homemade Garlic Knots
Add warm garlic knots to a bread basket with pizza rolls and sliced focaccia. Serve as a side dish for bowls of homemade soup or a green salad. Enjoy alongside Italian dishes like lasagne, stuffed shells, baked ziti, eggplant Parm, spaghetti with lentil meatballs, or slices of homemade pizza. I usually serve my knots with pizza sauce, marinara sauce, or extra garlic butter for dipping, but they’re also great with blue cheese dip or homemade buttermilk ranch dressing!
Other Bread Recipes You Might Enjoy
Everything Bagel Bread
Apple Cheddar Focaccia
Blue Cheese Bread
Olive Cheese Bread
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
