Who does not love garlic knots? I am yet to come across such a person. And if it is fresh out of the oven no one can resist it. These garlic knots are light, fluffy and full of garlic – freshly pounded kneaded into the dough.
Baking breads requires complete focus. Being mindful of what you are doing can be best applied and practiced in this process. Multitasking does not work here. You need to be very mindful of the quantity of ingredients, the temperature of the water, the kneading process and the two rises you give your dough. You go wrong in one of these steps and the entire project is at risk.
When you have given all your attention to the process of bread making you can rejoice in the excellent results. The bread comes out just perfect. These garlic knots were tried, tested and tasted a couple of times before I decided to share the recipe.
If you like variation you can try sprinkling parmesan at the brushing stage.*
Hope you too give it a try. If you do please do leave a comment in the Comments section below. It would be great to hear from you.
Garlic Knots
Ingredients
- Flour - 3 cups
- Dry yeast - 1 tbsp
- Garlic powder - 1 tsp
- Sugar - 1 tsp
- Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
- Olive oil - 1 tbsp
- Lukewarm water - 1 cup + 1/4 cup
For the brushing:
- Garlic minced - 1 tbsp
- Parsley dry - 1tsp
- Butter - 2 tbsp
Instructions
- Heat 1/4 cup water, lukewarm, with the sugar. The water should be just warm, comfortable to the skin. Too hot water will kill the yeast.
- In a large bowl, large enough to knead 3 cups of flour, add the yeast.
- Pour the lukewarm sugar water over the yeast, sprinkle some flour and keep aside for 10 minutes. In 10 minutes time the yeast should have become frothy.
- In a separate cup heat 1 cup of water to lukewarm.
- Add the salt and olive oil to the water.
- When the yeast is frothy add 2 1/2 cups of the flour and the warm water with salt, garlic powder and olive oil. Set aside 1/2 cup of flour for kneading.
- Mix well. The flour will be sticky right now.
- Take out the dough on a kneading surface and dust with flour.
- Add flour a little at a time and continue kneading. We may or may not use up the half of cup flour. We need to add enough flour to help us achieve a soft dough. The dough should be springy to the touch.
- Grease a bowl with oil. With a greased hand, pat the surface of the dough to grease it too. This helps prevent the dough from drying.
- Cover the dough and leave it undisturbed in a warm place for at least an hour or till it doubles in size.
- When the dough has risen we need to punch it down and shape it into knots.
- Knead the dough once again, punching it back to its original size.
- Divide the dough in to ten equal sized balls. Shape each portion into knots (or any other shape of your choice).
- Place all knots in a baking tin with a gap of 1 inch between them.
- Set aside of 15-20 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.
- Bake the garlic knots for 15 minutes.
- While the knots are baking prepare the brushing. In a bowl combine the butter, minced garlic and parsley.
- Heat the brushing mix in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- At the end of 15 minutes of baking brush the knots with the butter-garlic-parsley mix.*
- Bake again for another 5 minutes.
- The knot tops will turn a golden brown and the aroma of garlic and bread will fill your home.
- Enjoy hot!