Homemade garlic knots are easy, delicious, and the perfect bite of chewy, doughy goodness! This recipe uses homemade dough and then it is just tossed in some olive oil, garlic powder, dried parsley, and salt. Trust me it is so easy, anyone can do it!
While I am still clinging onto summer for dear life (we still have a month) I am excited for all the fall and winter baking to come. A classic in my house is garlic knots! We make them all the time in the colder months. Sometimes we use homemade dough and other times we just use store bought but either way they are always delicious and hit the spot. There’s just something about a big bowl of garlic knots on the table for dinner.
Tips for Making Homemade Dough
Before a few years ago I was so scared to make a homemade dough. Don’t ask me why I just thought it was so hard and I was going to mess it up. However, I promise it cannot be any easier! You only need a few ingredients and the one that made me feel the most out of my realm was yeast. I thought it was temperamental, high maintenance and I didn’t quite know how to use it but after using it a few times I realized how easy it was to make things with it!
The other thing that was overwhelming to me was kneading dough. I grew up making pretend dough with my great grandma but for some reason the whole kneading process scared me. Now I love it! I get out my anger and stress, just kidding, and it is so fun to watch the dough go from tacky to a smooth dough ball. Finally, you need to give your dough time to rise and proof. I will give you my tips for proofing down below.
Instant Yeast vs Active Dry Yeast
There are two types of yeast you can use when baking, they both do the same thing. The first is instant yeast which I have become a big fan of because you don’t need to proof it ahead of time. You can just add it to your dough and it will do it’s thing during the rising process. The second is active dry yeast. This yeast will require being proofed ahead of time. So you would heat up 1 cup (240ml) of water to 95°F to 110°F and add the teaspoon of sugar in there. Set it to the side for 10 minutes until it is foamy.
I used to prefer using active dry yeast when I first started baking so I could know for sure that the yeast was active, but as I have been baking longer I now prefer instant yeast. Both do the same exact thing so whatever you use will work just fine.
Tips for Proofing and Rising Dough
It can be incredibly frustrating when you finally wait for 2 hours and your dough hasn’t risen at all. This has unfortunately happened to me but it’s okay! Here are my best tips to ensure that doesn’t happen:
- Make sure your yeast isn’t old or expired. The yeast is what will make the dough rise so if your yeast is expired it will never rise.
- When using active dry yeast the water does need to be in the correct temperature range so you do not kill it however, it won’t get foamy and rise if the yeast didn’t bloom so you will already know right away. You can just start over again if that happens.
- Give the dough proper time to rise and do not touch it. I know it is tempting to peek but leave your dough covered and let it stay there. It can take up to 2 hours to rise, especially depending on the temperature of your house.
- Put the dough in the oven. I personally love to let my dough proof in the oven because it tends to be the perfect temperature and no draft. Just of course make sure it is turned off.
- Take pictures! While it should be relatively obvious that the dough has risen if this is your first time baking it can be helpful to take pictures so you can compare.
Garlic Powder vs Garlic Cloves
I am sure there will be someone who think that garlic cloves should be used here instead of garlic powder. Always do whatever makes you happy in your kitchen. I personally like garlic powder for garlic knots because it has a strong flavor, you need less and it is much easier to sprinkle than mincing a bunch of garlic cloves. If you want to use a few garlic cloves minced to throw it in there extra of course you can but I just find it much easier to use the garlic powder. It also evenly distributes amongst the knots better.
Double Proof
This dough will get two rounds of proofing/rising. The first time will be the initial rise. The second will be after all the garlic knots have been made. Similar to when you make something like croissants (recipe in my cookbook) the double proof helps the garlic knots to become fluffier and chewier. You can see a difference in the picture down below and how it really allows the garlic knots to puff up more!
Add Ons
Feel free to add anything you want to these garlic knots, I prefer them simple and they taste amazing but here are some extra ideas of things you can do:
- Vegan Parmesan
- Red Chili Flakes
- Oregano
- Black Pepper
- Melted Vegan Butter
- Flaky Salt
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FAQs
- Can I make these gluten free? You can try using a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour. I have not tried it so let me know how it works if you do!
- Can I make these ahead of time? These are really best enjoyed when fresh or made that day. If you need to make them earlier in the day warm them up in the oven for a few minutes before enjoying.
- Can I freeze these after making them? Definitely! Just warm up in the oven when you want to eat.
- Can I make a different amount? Sure. You can make as little or as many garlic knots from this recipe as you like. If you make them smaller (for example a batch of 30+) you will need to adjust baking times.
- Can I use this dough for other things? Definitely! It is basically just a generic pizza dough, calzone, stromboli, pizza pockets – anything you like!
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Homemade Garlic Knots
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 ¼ cups all purpose flour (390g)
- 1 packet instant yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons/7g)
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon organic sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water (240ml)
Garlic Olive Oil
- 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- *optional 2 to 3 sprigs fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: add all ingredients except the water into a large bowl. Add about a third of the water in. Gently mix with a spatula and occasionally add in the water in as you mix. Once the dough has come together and is in big pieces, you can knead it. Knead for 5 to 7 minutes until a smooth ball has formed. Alternatively, you can also do this in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.
- Form dough into a ball and add an extra little splash of oil just to oil the bowl and dough. Cover with a clean dish towel and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size. I prefer to leave mine in a turned off closed oven so there is no draft.
- Once the dough has risen push the air out. Divide dough equally into 24 dough balls to make 24 garlic knots.
- Take one of the dough balls and start by rolling it into a long log or snake shape. Then simply twist the dough over itself to make a knot.
- Place on a large parchment lined baking sheet leaving at least 2 inches between the knots. If necessary use 2 baking sheets.
- Once all the knots have been made cover with a clean dish towel and allow a second rise for 30 mins to 1 hour. The knots will be puffier and chubbier, they will not double in size but there should be a noticeable difference.
- Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C).
- Bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Until the knots are golden brown on the bottom but still light on top and only slightly golden.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine all the ingredients for the garlic olive oil.
- Once the knots are done immediately put them in the bowl and toss in the oil until they are coated well. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- You can use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast. Just allow the 10 minutes of proofing the yeast ahead of time.
- You can prepare the dough in a stand mixer.
- You can use store bought pizza dough instead.
- Baking times may vary keep an eye on them depending on your oven. You can bake them longer but I personally prefer them on the lighter side so they are chewier.
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