Garlic Knots Recipe | Homemade Garlic Knots made with Whole Wheat Flour, make from scratch or from Pizza Dough
Soft and buttery Garlic Knots, now make you favorite Pizzeria snack at home with Whole Wheat Flour, as much better choice than the All Purpose Flour(APF)/Maida.
Who won't like to have soft and buttery knots bursting with the garlic flavour. A perfect bread recipe to pair with soups, pasta or serve as an appetizer with your favorite dip. It's an absolute party and crowd pleaser.
A brief history of Garlic Knots
Many of the Pizzerias in USA especially in New York region started selling these as a way to stop wastage of leftover pizza/bread dough, and herbed garlic butter. Now these have become a favorite sides that we all especially the kids, love to order.
I learnt how to make soft and buttery garlic knots years back here. The original recipe uses All Purpose Flour but I have adapted the recipe with Whole Wheat Flour.
Why Homemade Garlic Knots
I love baking breads at home. I know everything is available in super stores these days and one enjoy any time without sweating out in kitchen. But, baking breads for me is therapeutic.. It takes out the all the day's stress when I see the beautifully proofed dough and the resulting soft pillowy bake!!
Another plus for me is that I know what ingredients go into my bake. Most of the store bought breads are made with All purpose flour//maida which is not at all health friendly. So many studies have come up showing the harmful effect of AAP on human body. That's why, now I try to avoid using AAP flour in baking(cakes, cookies and pies) and have turned up to more healthy friendly flours.
More reasons to make these at home--
- these are freezer friendly and can be made ahead, you can keep a batch ready for any time snack cravings for kids.
- Serve anytime with soups or pasta.
- Pack for kids lunch with their favorite dip or homemade marinara.
Ingredients to make Dough for Homemade Garlic Knots
Flour- As mentioned above I use Whole Wheat Flour-WWF (known as Whole meal in US). It's my regular wheat flour that I use for making chapatis. You can use All purpose flour or a mix of APF and WWF. Even bread flour is good to use in the recipe.
Yeast- It is an important ingredient for making breads. I use Instant yeast in baking. You can use Active Dry yeast also if you are accustomed to using it. Proof it before adding to the flour. Checkout the notes section in recipe card on HOW TO USE ACTIVE DRY YEAST in the recipe.
Fresh yeast can also be used for the recipe. Instant yeast and Fresh yeast can be directly added to the flour without any proofing.
Liquid- Use lukewarm water/milk. Add water/milk slowly and gradually. Do not add all at once. Your dough can become sticky and unmanageable, then you will have to add more flour while may result in dense and heavy bread.
Whenever I have leftover Paneer whey(leftover water after making Paneer/Indian cottage Cheese), I use it to knead bread dough. Kneading the bread dough with that water makes it extra sot and pillowy.
If know how to make Paneer at home and use it in your cooking then, Paneer whey needs no introduction. But if you want to know more about paneer and how to make make it at home CLICK HERE for HOMEMADE PANEER. Never throw the whey, use it in making soups, dals or kneading your chapati and bread dough.
Checkout the Pav Bhaji Buns Recipe where I have used Paneer Whey to make soft pillowy stuffed buns.
Butter- Melted butter. I used salted butter you can use unsalted too. Adjust the amount of salt accordingly.
Vegans can use Extra Virgin Olive oil which adds a nice flavour to these knots.
Others- Salt, Sugar
How to make Garlic Butter
The real flavour or the star of these knots is the garlic butter. To make garlic butter use freshly minced garlic. If you or kids or some your guests may not like bits of garlic coming in mouth then add garlic powder.
To make garlic butter, melt butter in pan add minced garlic(or garlic powder) and let it infuse. Add fresh herbs like finely chopped parsley/basil or cilantro.
Brush the knots generously with garlic butter before baking knots and once these are out of oven.
How to get my Whole Wheat Bread soft like the All Purpose Bread or store bought bread
The texture of bread made with Whole Wheat flour is definitely different from the one made with APF/maida. Breads made with WWF are denser and can be on the drier side. But if we understand our flour and water ratio and other factors for bread making, then you will never want to go back to using maida in your baking.
Pro Tips to bake perfect soft and buttery Garlic Knots
- Measure your ingredients properly.
- All the ingredients should be at room temperature.
- The dough is going to be sticky in the beginning, but do not keep adding more flour. It will make the rolls very dense and dry.
- Do not add all the water in one go, add little by little and mix.
- Do not over knead the dough. Knead till a point it is smooth and pliable.
- Do not over proof the dough it will give dense knots. It usually takes 45 mins in warm weather. and more in cold/winters(1.5-2 hrs). Check the proofed dough with dimple test. Check notes in the recipe card for the same.
- Second proofing should not be more than 20 mins.
- Every oven is different and temperature can fluctuate, invest in a good oven thermometer to measure the temperature correctly.
Steps to make Dough for Garlic Knots
Steps to shape the Garlic Knots
Baked Garlic Knots
How to make Garlic Knots from Pizza Dough
You can even make the knots using your leftover or store bought pizza dough. Whatever the amount of dough is left divide it into equal portions and then roll each potion into a knot. Refer to the pics.
Bake in the same way as you bake the knots form the dough made from scratch.
Can we freeze baked Garlic Knots or the dough
Whenever I make Pizza at home, I make extra dough for garlic bread/rolls or knots.
Pack dough in a freezer friendly container or zip lock and freeze it for a month. Thaw it and let the dough come to room temperature before using it. It stays good for over a month.
You can also freeze the knots and reheat on the preheat mode in oven at 200C or 400F. Do not thaw the knots before reheat.
I won't recommend microwave to reheat your bread, though it takes less time but makes the bread dry and very chewy.
Serving Suggestions
With my easy step-wise instructions and video, making knots won't be any problem and you can have delicious side with soups or pasta..
Serve these as snacks to your guests or have it with soup or pack for kids' lunch with Marinara Sauce or pizza/pasta sauce dip.
For basic Homemade Pizza dough recipe click on the link.. Pizza Tonight(made with All-purpose flour), Whole Wheat Pizza(Instant Pot Proofed Dough)
Garlic Knots
Ingredients
For Dough
- 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour or 260 gm
- 1½ tsp Instant Yeast
- ½ tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Milk Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1¾ cup Water 200 ml
- 1 tbsp Melted Butter or use plain Extra Virgin Olive Oil(EVVO)
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning optional
Garlic Butter/Glaze
- 4-5 tbsp Butter for EVVO for Vegans
- 1½ tsp Garlic Powder
- Red Chilli Flakes as required skip when making for kids
- 1 tbsp Finely chopped Parsley/Cilantro or use dried parsley
- Parmesan Cheese as required (optional)
When using Pizza/Bread Dough
- 11 ounce Pizza Dough/Roll 311 gm
Instructions
Making Dough for Garlic Knots
- In a mixing bowl add whole wheat flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt and garlic powder and milk powder.2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour, 1½ tsp Instant Yeast, ½ tsp Sugar, 1 tsp Salt, 2 tbsp Milk Powder, 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- Add water and mix all the ingredients.1¾ cup Water
- Leave dough for 5 mins, to let the gluten develop.
- One a clean counter, transfer dough add melted butter/oil and knead to a smooth soft dough. Please note-Dough will be sticky at first, but keep on kneading. It will get smooth after 5 mins. Do not add more flour or water. You can oil your hands very lightly while kneading the dough.1 tbsp Melted Butter
- Once the dough is soft and smooth, keep it in a lightly oiled mixing bowl for proofing. Cover with a damp cloth or cling film.
- After 45 mins-1 hr. check the dough. It should double up. Check with dimple test, whether the dough is proofed or not. Check Notes.
- Take the proofed dough on the counter dusted with little flour.
- Lightly knead dough for 5 mins, and then roll the dough into a 16" long log.
- Divide the log into 16 portions each of 1" thickness.
- Roll each portion in a cylindrical shape and make knots. Follow the pictorial collage in the main post. Soon will add the video also.
- Roll and flatten each portion to ½" thick dough.
- Cut each flattened log into 8-9 strips about 1 inch . (Refer the video /pic in the main post)
- Make knots with all the portions. (Refer to the pics and the video in the main post)
- Line all the knots on a baking sheet (lightly brushed with oil/butter and dusted with flour or use a silicone mat/parchment paper.
- Keep it for second proofing. It should take around 15-20 mins.
- Preheat oven at 400 °F or 200 °C , 15 mins before you start baking. It ;s takes almost the same time for the second proofing.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 400 °F or 200 °C for 15-20 mins.
With Pizza Dough
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 °F or 200 °C.
- Cut pizza dough log into 1" thick equal potions.11 ounce Pizza Dough/Roll
- Roll out each potion to 7"-8" long strip. Refer the pics in the main post.
- Shape each rolled strip into a knot. Refer the pics in the main post.
- Brush the knots with garlic butter . Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the top is nicely browned.
- If the top is not as brown as the color you want, change the settings of the oven to grill mode and grill the knots for 3-5 mins. Be very careful in this step else the knots may get burned.
Make Garlic Butter/Glaze
- Melt butter in a pan, add garlic powder, Italian seasoning, Red Chili flakes.1 tsp Italian Seasoning, 4-5 tbsp Butter, 1½ tsp Garlic Powder, Red Chilli Flakes as required
- Add very finely chopped cilantro/ coriander or parsley and mix well.1 tbsp Finely chopped Parsley/Cilantro
Serving Suggestions
- Brush warm baked knots with garlic glaze and parmesan cheese and serve as required.Parmesan Cheese
Notes
- 10 mins to Knead the dough
- 45 mins for the first proof
- 15 mins to make the knots
- 20-30 mins for second proof
- 15-20 mins for baking
- 15 mins to make the knots
- 15-20 mins for the proofing
- 15-20 mins for baking
Related recipes on the blog-- Pizza Tonight( Basic Pizza Dough recipe and vegetable pizza); Spicy Paneer Pizza
Other bread recipes-- Whole Wheat Beetroot Mini Sliders/Burger Buns, Basil Pesto Bread, Rosemary Focaccia with Cherries, Pav(Indian Dinner Rolls), Star Bread for Christmas
Do try these Garlic Knots with your favourite sauce/soup or pasta and I am sure you and your kids will love it as much as we love these. It's will be fun to engage kids with you and make these knots.
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Balvinder
The minute I saw your cute garlic knots on Facebook baking group I thought to check the post out. Love garlic so much in bread that I sometimes make garlic toast (just butter and garlic in pan) for myself.
Very detailed post with step wise pictures and the exact timing to make.
This also reminds me to make the stuffed rolls that I last made during Covid.
Swati
Thanks Balvinder.. I too love garlic especially in bread recipes. it adds so much flavour to a simple toast.