Garlic Knots Two Ways

I’m having a restless week (read: month), I want to pick up and go somewhere. I want warm sand between my toes, sun on my neck, and a drink in my hand. I want no responsibilities, no dishes to do, and no laundry to fold. That’s the kind of week (month) I’m having, the kind where I want to run away. Don’t you ever have those weeks?

In a last ditch effort to make myself feel better and abolish my summer time blues, I started making garlic knots. But I didn’t make just one batch, I made two batches from two different recipes. Then I ate them all (almost anyway). And really, I liked both recipes, so I’m going to post them both – give you options and all that.

If you just feel like running away this week but you know you’re far too responsible to do so, I recommend you settle for something warm, buttery, and garlicky instead.

The first recipe makes fewer and smaller garlic knots, so if you don’t want to eat them all in one sitting (the way I did), I’d recommend doubling the recipe, but that’s your call. The second recipe is a whole wheat recipe, it makes a good size batch, and it’s a little heartier tasting (not necessarily better, it just depends on how you feel about whole wheat).

Garlic Knots

Butter/Garlic Coating
Will cover about 10 knots

4 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

White Bread Pizza Dough
From The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum
Makes 8 smallish knots

3/4 cup + 1tbs unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup water at just above room temperature (70 to 90F)
4 teaspoons olive oil

In a small bowl combine water and yeast, allow to sit for a few minutes until the mixture becomes frothy. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in water and yeast mixture. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon gradually stir together flour and water until a rough dough begins to form.

Pour the oil into a small bowl or a 2-cup glass measuring cup and place the dough in the oiled cup, turning to make sure all sides are coated with oil. Cover with plastic-wrap or a towel and set in a warm area to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled. The inside of your oven, light on, but oven off, would be ideal.

After dough has risen, remove from oven, and preheat oven to 400F.

When ready to prepare the garlic knots, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough out into a square or oval. Use a pizza cutter to slice about 8 1-inch stripes (depending on the size of your dough rectangle). Tie a knot in the center of the dough, and wrap the ends under and around the knot. It doesn’t have to be exact, just make sure the dough is tucked in on itself. Cover with clean kitchen towel and let rest for another 30 minutes, this is your second rise.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place dough knots on prepared baking sheets and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.

While bread bakes, in a large bowl whisk together minced garlic, butter, olive oil, parsley and salt. When rolls come out of the oven, immediately toss them in the garlic butter mixture (you want to do this while they’re still very hot). Make sure each knot is coated and remove from the butter bowl. Serve warm.

Rolls are best served the day they’re made, but will last up to 3 days if well wrapped. Just reheat in a piece of foil the oven or in a toaster oven.

OR

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
From Joy the Baker
Makes 10 largeish knots

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (70 to 90F)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons sugar

These have much the same directions, but I’ll type them out again, for good measure.

In a small bowl combine water and yeast, allow to sit for a few minutes until the mixture becomes frothy. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in water and yeast mixture, and olive oil. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon gradually stir together flour and water until a rough dough begins to form. Lightly flour your work surface and kneed dough for a few minutes until it comes together and has a smooth, elastic surface. If the dough is too dry, add a little water, if it’s too wet, add a little flour.

Coat a medium or large bowl lightly with oil and set dough inside, turning to make sure all sides are coated with oil. Cover with plastic-wrap or a towel and set in a warm area to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled. The inside of your oven, light on, but oven off, would be ideal.

After dough has risen, remove from oven, and preheat oven to 400F.

When ready to prepare the garlic knots, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough out into a square or oval, roughly 10 x 10. Use a pizza cutter to slice 10 1-inch stripes (depending on the size of your dough rectangle). Tie a knot in the center of the dough, and wrap the ends under and around the knot. It doesn’t have to be exact, just make sure the dough is tucked in on itself. Cover with clean kitchen towel and let rest for another 30 minutes, this is your second rise.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place dough knots on prepared baking sheets and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.

While bread bakes, in a large bowl whisk together minced garlic, butter, olive oil, parsley and salt. When rolls come out of the oven, immediately toss them in the garlic butter mixture (you want to do this while they’re still very hot). Make sure each knot is coated and remove from the butter bowl. Serve warm.

Rolls are best served the day they’re made, but will last up to 3 days if well wrapped. Just reheat in a piece of foil the oven or in a toaster oven.

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