Now that fall is upon us, my favorite type of meal to make is a big pot of soup with some homemade bread. So comforting, and it makes the house smell amazing. These garlic knots are one of my two favorite dinner rolls (the other being these honey yeast rolls), but I’m afraid they have gotten lost in the archives or overlooked because of the old (read: ugly) photo. I also thought a step-by-step guide on shaping these rolls might be helpful. Baking with yeast may be intimidating to those who have never tried it but it really is just following a recipe. The dough for these rolls is easy to work with and I think a good project for yeast bread beginners.
The more you bake with yeast, the more comfortable you will feel with it until eventually it becomes second nature. Though the recipe calls for a stand mixer, this dough (as with most bread doughs) can be kneaded by hand. It may take a few minutes longer, but the resulting dough should be the same either way. Gauging the texture of the dough is one of the things that comes with practice. Many recipes say the dough should be “tacky, but not sticky”. My own interpretation of this is that if I lightly touch the dough with a fingertip and dough sticks to my finger when I pull away, it is still too sticky and I need to add a little more flour. If I touch the dough and it adheres just for a moment before my finger pulls away clean, that’s the texture I am aiming for. Tying the knots of the dough is easiest if you do it in one fluid motion, and don’t stop to take pictures along the way :)
Soft Garlic Knots
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Ingredients:
For the dough:
3 cups bread flour
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. instant yeast
1¼ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup milk
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. lukewarm water
For the glaze:
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp. melted butter
½ tsp. Italian seasoning
Directions:
To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the dry ingredients. Add the olive oil, milk and water. Mix until ingredients have formed a dough. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a 10-inch long rope and tie into a knot.
Take the end lying underneath the knot and bring it over the top, tucking it into the center.
Take the end lying over the knot and tuck it underneath and into the center.
Transfer shaped rolls to a baking stone, or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 45 minutes, until puffy.
To make the glaze, finely mince the garlic or press it through a garlic press. Mix with the melted butter and Italian seasoning.
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Brush the glaze onto the shaped rolls. Bake until set and lightly browned, about 15-18 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
Source: Amber’s Delectable Delights originally from King Arthur Flour
