Soft Garlic Knots

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Lately, like many of you, I've been busy making a mess. But what a merry and mouthwatering mess it's been!

Honk if you like garlic! 

These Garlic Knots are soft and yeasty - good with soup, or pasta and your favorite sauce, or just for those times when you find yourself standing at the kitchen counter with nothing to do. Pull one of these lovelies apart fresh from the oven and dip each piece into the leftover glaze of butter and olive oil. You can thank me later.

I made three batches of these Garlic Knots. When I made the first batch it was -1 degree outside and only 68 degrees in the house. They didn't rise like they should have and I didn't have the patience to wait, so I baked them anyway. The flavor was good, but they weren't light and fluffy. For the glaze, I used minced raw garlic mixed with olive oil and melted butter, but found the garlic to be a bit harsh.

I made the second batch of dough the night before I was going to bake, covered it and left it in a cold oven overnight. When I got up the next morning, the dough had doubled and was perfect for making the rolls. These rolls turned out light and fluffy. This time for the glaze, I heated the olive oil and minced garlic until the garlic turned a very light brown, then added butter and parsley and brushed the mixture on the rolls. Although the garlic wasn't really cooked, it was heated enough so the raw garlic taste was gone. I liked these much better.

When brushing the knots with the oil mixture, be sure to get some of the garlic and parsley, too. You can top these with some Parmesan or Kosher salt, too. I hope you give these a try. You won't be disappointed!

Here is a tutorial for shaping these knots.

PRINT RECIPE HERE

Soft Garlic Knots (adapted from King Arthur Flour)

3 cups flour

1/4 cup dry milk

1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes

1 T sugar

2 tsp yeast

1-1/4 tsp salt

2 T olive oil

1 c lukewarm water

Glaze

2 T butter

4 T olive oil

3 cloves peeled, minced garlic

3 T dried parsley

Dough: The night before baking, using a flat beater, whisk the dry ingredients together in bowl of stand mixer. Stir in olive oil and water then mix until dough comes together. Change to dough hook and knead until you have a smooth, elastic dough, adding additional water or flour as needed. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise overnight, until doubled in bulk.

Shaping: Gently deflate dough and divide dough into 16 pieces. Roll each into a rope about 11 inches long. Tie each rope into a knot, tucking the loose ends into the center. Place knots on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour, until very puffy looking.

Glaze: In small saucepan, heat olive oil and garlic until garlic is aromatic. Be careful not to burn. Add butter and parsley and simmer until butter is melted.

Baking: Bake the knots in preheated 350 F oven for 15 to 18 minutes. They should be set, but only very lightly browned. Remove knots from the oven and brush with garlic butter. Yield: 16 garlic knots