There aren’t many things in life better than homemade bread. Braiding challah, cutting butter into flour, kneading pita dough — no matter what I’m making, it proves to be a therapeutic process that results in a warm and comforting start to any meal. While plain and simple dinner rolls are a family favorite, I decided to switch it up a bit and make these herbed garlic knots to go with the always-delicious Artichoke Heart Stuffed Shells. While they require a good bit of time, they are the perfect rolls to make if you’re creating a whole dinner from scratch, for they can rise while you work on the other dishes. The result is a fluffy, chewy knot with a crusty exterior and a flaky interior. The garlic coating is flavorful but not overpowering — a simple way to elevate an already delicious roll. This recipe will make multiple baking sheets of knots, so cut in half or fourths if you’re looking for a smaller quantity.
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp. active-dry yeast
- 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (approximately)
Garlic Coating
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- sea salt to taste
Directions:
- Combine water, 1/4 cup evoo, sea salt, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until yeast is dissolved.
- Add flour to the bowl and mix to incorporate. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and set in a warm spot until doubled in volume, about 1-3 hours. Once it has doubled, chill it to make it easier to handle.
- Divide the dough in half and flatten the first half onto an oiled cutting board or silicone rolling mat. Oil your hands, and, using a rolling pin, spread the dough into an even rectangle, approx. 5″x16″ and 1/2″ thick. Slice the rectangle into 1/2″x5″ strips.
- Sprinkle the dough strips with flour, rotate the board/mat 90 degrees, and roll each strip into a rope. Tie the rope into a knot (they don’t have to be perfect, mine certainly were not) and place onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place knots about an 1 1/2″ apart on the baking sheet.
- Repeat with the second half of the dough. Cover each sheet pan with a large dish towel and place in a warm spot to rise.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. After the knots have doubled in size, remove the towel and place the pans in the oven. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden.
- While the knots are baking, make the garlic coating. In a small saucepan, warm the olive oil, butter and garlic. Add the chopped parsley, remove from heat and set aside.
- After removing the knots from the oven, brush with garlic coating while they are still warm. Season with sea salt to taste.
Recipe adapted from Bountiful.
