Buttery Garlic Knots

I love garlic.

No wait. Let’s try that again with some enthusiasm shall we?

I LOVE GARLIC!

That’s better.

I didn’t use to. Actually one of my favorite dishes at Olive Garden is chicken scampi. But I use to ask if they could go light on the garlic for me. After I started cooking more and more, I realized just how awesome a little garlic is in almost every dish. Call me weird but I also love the smell of garlic on my finger tips! Its almost therapeutic (and keeps the vampires away!)

Side note: … but vegan vampires rock. If you don’t get the reference, don’t worry about it. You’re just not cool enough.

When I read on fellow TWD baker, Carla of Chocolate Moosey‘s blog, about hosting Weekend Cookbook Challenge: Garlic Edition, I knew I’d have to participate! She’s a fellow garlic lover too. But she didn’t want something that had 1 measly little garlic clove in a mesh of a billion other ingredients. She wanted something where garlic was the star of the show.

I admit I contemplated making a garlic cupcake but that didnt sound appealing even to me. LOL. So I settled on something I’ve had on my cooking queue for a while.

(Yes, I realize the recipe is not technically from a cookbook but I figured I’d enter it anyways b/c KA flour does have a cookbook and it could be in there right? HAHA)

Buttery Garlic Knots
(Recipe adapted from Repressed Pastry Chef & KA Flour | photos from me!)

Makes 8 knots

INGREDIENTS

Dough
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup milk (I used whole milk)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water

Glaze
2-4 cloves peeled, garlic (I used 4 cloves)
2 tablespoons melted butter (I used 3 tbsp)
1/4 teaspoon Pizza Seasoning or Italian seasoning, optional (I used Italian seasoning)

INSTRUCTIONS

To make dough—
In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the dry ingredients together then add the olive oil, milk and water. Using the paddle attachment or dough hook, mix and knead to form a smooth, elastic dough, adding additional water or flour as needed. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow it to rise for about 1 hour, until it’s doubled in bulk.

[NOTES: I added about 3-4 tsp of bread flour b/c my dough was a little sticky.]

[NOTES: I preheated my oven to 170F (lowest setting), turned it off and wedged a wooden spoon in the oven door to create a warm environment for my dough rise.]

Divide the dough into 8 pieces, and roll each into a rope about 10 inches long; tie each rope into a knot. Place the knots on a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 45 minutes to about an hour, until very puffy looking.

Tie a knot. Loop the left strand over the top and tuck in. Loop the right strand under and tuck. Check out Baker’s Banter for better step-by-step pics.

To make glaze—
Unpeel garlic cloves. Chop the garlic in a food processor (or you can use a garlic press), with the melted butter.

[NOTES: I just did it ghetto style, minced up the garlic with a knife and added to the melted butter. Too lazy to get out my food processor!]

To bake—
Bake the knots in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes. They should be set, but only very lightly browned. Remove the knots from the oven, and brush or drizzle them with the seasoned oil. (You can reheat briefly in the microwave, if it’s solidified).

Sprinkle with a little pizza seasoning or Italian seasoning.

ENJOY!

Husband rating: A+
He’s not a big carb freak like me but he ate about 4 of them. HAHA.

Wifey rating: A+
Love me some carbs… Mmmm. Definitely will make this again (and again…)