Appetizers | Recipes | Sides
Cheesy Garlic Knots
Anyone who knows me knows that bread is one of my love languages. Give me some fresh bread and butter and I'm a happy girl. But making bread at home sometimes is just a hassle. It's messy, time-consuming, and just difficult. Not in this case. With this recipe for cheesy garlic knots, you'll get soft and buttery bread without the hassle. Add in cheese, garlic, and accompanying marinara sauce and you're in bread nirvana.
These garlic knots are soft and pillowy. They're very flavorful - full of cheesy and buttery goodness. Have I sold you yet? To me, they're truly the perfect flavor and texture and a great appetizer that everyone will love. The dough is incredibly easy to work which is important for me because I don't want to fight with dough all day and I know you don't either. Give these a try and I know they'll become a family favorite.
REASONS YOU SHOULD TRY THIS RECIPE:
- you get soft and pillowy homemade fresh bread
- very easy workable dough
- doesn't take you all day to make like other dough recipes
INGREDIENTS FOR THESE CHEESY GARLIC KNOTS:
Dough:
- Warm water - yields softer and fluffier bread
- Instant dried yeast - raises bread in a hurry
- Olive oil - coats flour and inhibits gluten which yields softer bread, also for flavor!
- Salt– Brings out the other flavors
- Garlic powder- adds some flavor
- Bread flour - higher protein content and perfect for making bread
- Semolina - for dusting
- Cheese - for stuffing the knots, use a good melting cheese. I used Munster and Mozerella.
Butter Mixture:
- Unsalted butter - base of our mixture
- Garlic cloves - adds a fresh punch of garlic flavor
- Red pepper flakes - adds a bit of heat
- Italian seasoning - more flavor
Garnish:
- Cheese and parsley - for our garnish at the end
HOW TO MAKE MY Cheesy garlic knots:
- First, prep your baking sheet by lining it with a greased silicone mat or parchment paper. Set the pan and a pastry brush to the side.
- Second, pour warm water into the bowl of your stand mixer or into the bowl you will use for mixing. Add the yeast in and whisk until combined. Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to rest for five minutes at room temperature. If the yeast froths after sitting for five minutes, you can move on with the recipe. If it doesn't, pour the mixture out and start with fresher yeast.
- Then, add the olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and half the flour to the yeast mixture. Mix on the "stir" setting for 15 seconds to just combine.
- After, add in the rest of the flour and then mix on the lowest setting for two minutes with the paddle or dough hook attachment. (If you're using a wooden spoon and mixing by hand, you'll do the same thing, but it may take longer than two minutes to mix properly.) After mixing for a couple of minutes, the dough should appear soft, combined, and somewhat smooth.
- Use a plastic scraper to pour the dough out onto a floured work surface. Flour your hands and dust the top with a bit more flour. Begin to knead the dough by hand for 3-4 minutes or until the dough is uniform, smooth, and tight. Once you're done kneading, form the dough into a tight ball and perform the "poke test." If you poke the dough with your finger, it should slightly spring back. If it does, it's kneaded enough and ready to proof. If it does not spring back, keep kneading.
- Once your dough passes the poke test and is in a tight ball, place the dough into your well-oiled bowl. Just be sure to use the same bowl you mixed the dough in originally.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a clean towel. Place the bowl in a warm spot and allow it to proof for 1 hour. It should be doubled in size after you let it rest.
- When the dough is proofed, gently ease the dough out onto your well-floured work surface. Lightly flour the top and your hands and begin to gently pat down into a tall and wide rectangular log shape.
- Use a bench scraper to cut into 1" to 1.5" wide strips.
- Begin to roll a strip into an 8" rope. Lightly flatten the middle of the rope with two fingers. Place your "stuffing" cheese of choice in the middle and then tie your rope into a knot making sure to tuck in the dough ends that may stick out. Place each knot onto your prepared baking sheet making sure there is enough space in between each one. Continue to tie the knots until you have them all on your baking sheet. If you have extra dough, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for next time, or bake it off separately.
- When you have all the knots on your baking sheet, cover the dough with a greased plastic wrap sheet and allow it to sit in a warm spot or at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. The dough will expand as it proofs and as it bakes so be mindful of spacing.
- While the dough is proofing, prepare your butter mixture by melting the butter and combining the butter with the rest of the ingredients. Once the dough is finished proofing, use a pastry brush to brush on some of the butter mixture. Sprinkle the knots with half of the grated cheese.
- Lastly, bake at 375°F for 10 minutes then turn the heat down to 350°F and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Out of the oven, brush on more of the butter mixture. You may have to rehydrate the butter mixture with more butter or you can sub in olive oil for ease. Once you've brushed on more of the mixture, sprinkle the knots with the rest of the grated cheese and with the chopped parsley.
- These knots are best served warm out of the oven with marinara or ranch. Enjoy!
MORE GREAT APPETIZER RECIPES:
Cheesy Garlic Knots
Cheesy Garlic Knots
Ingredients
Dough Mixture
- 1 ⅓ cup warm water 100°F - 110°F
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant dried yeast
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or garlic powder & herb seasoning mix
- 2 ¾ cups bread flour (438 grams)
- flour for dusting
- ¼ cup olive oil for oiling bowl
- ½ cup shredded cheese muenster, provolone or low-moisture mozzarella for stuffing knots
Butter
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Before & After Baking Sprinkling
- ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano parmesan or Asiago
- 3 teaspoons Italian flat-leaf parsley chopped finely
Instructions
- To start, prep your baking sheet by lining it with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Make sure to spray well with cooking spray. Set the pan and a pastry brush to the side.
- Next, pour warm water into the bowl of your stand mixer or into the bowl you will use for mixing. Add the yeast in and whisk until combined. Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to rest for five minutes at room temperature. If the yeast froths after sitting for five minutes, you can move on with the recipe. If it doesn't, pour the mixture out and start with fresher yeast.
- Next, add the olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and half the flour into the yeast mixture. Mix on the "stir" setting for 15 seconds to just combine.
- Next, add in the rest of the flour and then mix on the lowest setting for two minutes with the paddle or dough hook attachment.
- After you mix for a couple of minutes, the dough should appear soft, combined, and somewhat smooth.
- Use a plastic scraper to pour the dough out onto a floured work surface. Flour your hands and dust the top with a bit more flour. Begin to knead the dough for 3-4 minutes or until the dough is uniform, smooth and tight. Once you're done kneading, form the dough into a tight ball and perform the "poke test." If you poke the dough with your finger, it should slightly spring back. If it does, it's kneaded enough and ready to proof. If it does not spring back, keep kneading.
- Once your dough passes the poke test and is in a tight ball, place the dough into your well-oiled bowl. Just be sure to use the same bowl you mixed the dough in originally.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a clean towel. Place the bowl in a warm spot and allow it to proof for 1 hour. It should be doubled in size after you let it proof.
- After the dough proofs, gently ease the dough out onto your well-floured work surface. Lightly flour the top and your hands and begin to gently pat down into a tall and wide rectangular log shape.
- Use a bench scraper to cut into 1" to 1.5" wide strips.
- Begin to roll a strip into an 8" rope. Lightly flatten the middle of the rope with two fingers. Place your "stuffing" cheese of choice in the middle and then tie your rope into a knot making sure to tuck in the dough ends that may stick out. Place each knot onto your prepared baking sheet making sure there is enough space in between each one. Continue to tie the knots until you have them all on your baking sheet. If you have extra dough, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for next time, or bake it off separately.
- Once you have all the knots on your baking sheet, cover the dough with a greased plastic wrap sheet and allow it to sit in a warm spot or at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. The dough will expand as it proofs and as it bakes.
- While the dough is proofing, prepare your butter mixture by melting the butter and combining the butter with the rest of the ingredients. Once the dough is finished proofing, use a pastry brush to brush on some of the butter mixture. Sprinkle the knots with half of the grated cheese.
- Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes and then 350°F for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Out of the oven, brush on more of the butter mixture. You may have to rehydrate the butter mixture with more butter or you can sub in olive oil for ease. Once you've brushed on more of the mixture, sprinkle the knots with the rest of the grated cheese and with the chopped parsley.
- These knots are best served warm out of the oven with marinara or ranch.
Video
Notes
You can use any good meltable cheese as the "stuffing cheese."
Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Best served the day of, but you can store these covered and reheat the next day in the oven.
