Garlic Knots
Garlic Knots Say it: GAR-lik NOTS
Garlic knots are a New York City pizza-shop staple: small pieces of lean yeast dough rolled into ropes, tied into loose knots, baked until golden, and brushed while hot with garlic butter, parsley, and Parmesan. They are eaten as a snack or alongside pizza and salads. The outside is lightly crisp and glossy, the inside soft and airy, with a concentrated savory garlic aroma and a salty, buttery finish.
Garlic Knots
Garlic Knots
Pronounced GAR-lik NOTS
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Dough
Garlic butter
Method
In a small bowl, stir the warm water, sugar, and yeast; let stand 5–10 minutes until the surface is foamy. If it does not foam, the yeast is no longer active.
In a large bowl, whisk 3 cups (375 g) of the flour with the salt. Add the yeast mixture and olive oil and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface using some of the remaining flour. Knead 8–10 minutes, adding flour only as needed, until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. Shape into a ball.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1–1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces, about 55 g each. Roll each piece into an 8-inch (20 cm) rope, tie it into a loose knot, and tuck the ends under; arrange the knots on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Cover the knots and let rise for 30–40 minutes, until puffy. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Bake for 12–15 minutes, until golden brown and the knots sound hollow when tapped underneath, rotating the sheet halfway through.
While the knots bake, gently melt the butter with the garlic and salt in a small saucepan over low heat for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant but not browned. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.
Brush the hot knots generously with garlic butter, sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve warm. Brush with any remaining garlic butter just before serving.
Regional variants
Some New York pizzerias add a pinch of red pepper flakes or dried oregano to the garlic butter; others top the knots with mozzarella before baking for a pull-apart cheese version.
Cook's notes
- For the softest knots, keep the dough on the tacky side and avoid adding more flour than needed.
- Warm the garlic gently in butter; high heat makes it bitter.
- Brush the knots with garlic butter as soon as they leave the oven so the butter soaks in.
Serve with
Serve warm as a snack or alongside pizza, marinara sauce for dipping, and a crisp green salad.
Make ahead and storage
Best the day they are baked; keep airtight at room temperature up to 2 days and reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes. Freeze baked knots up to 1 month.
