A Homemade Garlic Knots recipe made completely from scratch! We’re keeping the prep simple, too: only 30 minutes of rise-time and there’s no mixer required!
For today’s recipe we start with my easy (from-scratch) pizza dough and add a few garlicky, buttery tweaks. Be sure to check out the video showing you exactly how I make garlic knots in my own kitchen, it’s just below the printable recipe!
As promised, today’s recipe for Garlic Knots is perfect for sopping up flavorful tomato sauce from your new favorite Baked Ziti.
I know that plenty of recipes for garlic knots start with pre-made dough, and I totally understand being in a rush sometimes, but nothing stacks up to the taste of a completely from-scratch recipe. Maybe I’m biased, but homemade is always better!
We start with a simple yeast dough. Don’t be intimidated if you don’t often bake with yeast (like I was for the longest time), this is a great recipe for beginners. If you can stir and can tie a knot, you can make this recipe.
Bread Flour vs All-Purpose Flour in Garlic Knots
You can use either bread flour or all-purpose flour when making garlic knots. Either one will work, but you will get slightly different results.
Bread flour is my preference for this recipe. Using bread flour will give your garlic knots a slightly more crisp exterior and a chewier interior. All-purpose flour will make them softer and fluffier. While I like my cake recipe to be soft and fluffy, I prefer my garlic knots to be a bit chewier and more like a breadstick, so I stick with bread flour here.
Make sure to brush them with just enough olive oil to coax them to turn a beautiful golden brown in the oven.
Melted Garlic Butter
Now let’s get to all that garlicky goodness I talked about earlier.
We are adding a bit of garlic powder (just half a teaspoon) into our dough, but most of the garlic flavor is going to come from our buttery garlic-infused topping. You’ll need just three ingredients for this topping:
- Butter (salted)
- Minced garlic
- Fresh basil
While your garlic knots are baking, combine your butter and garlic on the stove over low heat, cooking until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant. Remove from heat and stir in fresh minced basil (parsley will also work).
Once your garlic knots are out of the oven, generously brush them with garlic butter before serving. The butter (and that flavor) will absorb into the garlic knots as they cool down just enough for you to dig in.
Enjoy!
Recipes that pair well with garlic knots:
How to Make Garlic Knots
Garlic Knots
Ingredients
- 2-2 ⅓ cups bread flour* divided (250-295g)
- 1 packet instant yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil + additional
- ¾ cup warm water 105-115F [40-46C] (180ml)
Garlic Butter:
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter
- 3 cloves minced garlic about 1 ½ Tablespoons
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh basil
- Grated parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F (205C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup (125g) of flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt, and garlic powder and stir well.
- Add olive oil and warm water and use a wooden spoon to stir until all ingredients are well-combined.
- Gradually add another 1 cup (125g) of flour. Add any additional flour as needed (I've found that sometimes I need as much as an additional ⅓ cup), stirring until the dough forms a cohesive, elastic ball and is beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl (see video below recipe for visual). The dough will still be tacky but still should be manageable with your hands.
- Drizzle a separate, large, clean bowl generously with olive oil and use a pastry brush to brush up the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer your dough to prepared bowl and roll the dough through the oil until the entire surface of the dough is lightly coated with oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place on top of your oven to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, use your hands to gently deflate it and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Form into a log about 15” long and cut into 9 even pieces.
- Roll each piece between your palms and slightly pull it to form a rope about 8” long (lightly dust the dough with flour if needed).
- Carefully tie each rope into a knot (see video for guidance) and place on prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush with olive oil if desired.
- Set tray on top of warm oven and let garlic knots rest/rise for 5 minutes before baking.
- Transfer to oven and bake on 400F (205C) for 13 minutes or until just beginning to turn a light golden brown.
- While garlic knots are baking, prepare Garlic Butter.
Garlic Butter
- Combine butter and garlic in a small saucepan over medium/low heat. Cook until butter is melted and garlic is fragrant.
- Remove from heat and stir in minced basil. Once Garlic Knots have finished baking, use a pastry brush to generously brush garlic butter mixture over each knot. Sprinkle with grated parmesan, if desired.
- Enjoy served warm.
timmy
Delicious, buttery, and super simple. Definitely will be using again.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Hannah
Can this be made in advance? Day before or in the morning for the evening?
Sam
Hi Hannah! That will work just fine. 🙂
Ingrid
The garlic knots were absolutely perfect. They paired well with my vegetable beef soup. Thanks for the recipe. I love your website.
Sam
Thank you so much, Ingrid! I am so glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
miss nobody
Hey!
I looked through your recipe and thought of making it but the problem is that I don’t have garlic powder. Can I use something else instead? Pls let me know asap as I realllyyy wanna make there garlic knots!
Sam
You could use real minced up garlic instead. 🙂
Andres
Would the rising time be the same if i double the recipe? I’m having your stuffed shells with the Italian sausage tomato sauce from your baked ziti with these garlic knots.
Sam
Hi Andres! The rise time shouldn’t double, it may be a little bit longer but shouldn’t be quite double.
Poonam
Superb !! We loved it !
Melinda
Very awesome. The fresh garlic in the butter sauce gives them a spicy flavor. Recommend sauté the garlic in some olive first then add to the melted butter.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Melinda! 🙂
Jacqueline Rubenstein
These were easy and great! Will make them again soon! Used the bread flour, great texture, very light. Tried to post a picture but couldn’t figure out how!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Jacqueline! Unfortunately you can’t post pictures here, but if you tag me on instagram @SugarSpun_Sam or join my facebook group I would love to see them. 🙂
Jill
These are excellent! We added a sprinkle of parmesan cheese before serving. We’ll definitely be making them again.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Jill! Thank you for letting me know how they turned out for you! 🙂
Kurt Miller
I’ve never made anything like this except out of a can. I am exceptionally pleased with these.
I’m 56 years old and this is the first time I’ve made garlic knots from scratch. I sure wish I would have known this recipe much earlier in life.
My wife and u I love each and every one.
We only tried these because the pizza dough recipe came out perfect 3 times in a row. We love that recipe too!
Sam
I am so happy to hear this recipe (and the pizza dough!) was such a success for you, Kurt! Thank you so much for commenting, and for trying my recipes, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Kurt Miller
Thank you for sharing!
Megan
Could I substitute active dry yeast for the instant yeast? And if so, what variations would I have to make?
Sam
Hi Megan! Active dry yeast will work here. You may want to proof the yeast before adding to the dry ingredients. 🙂
Dan L
When I tried the recipe, the ball of dough turned into a really dry mix that had a lot of cracks. Is this really just 3/4 cup of warm water or is it double? The video looks a lot more than 3/4 cup and the dough was a lot wetter than mine. Not sure if it’s just because our air is too dry in the winter?
Sam
Hi Dan! The amount of flour isn’t an exact amount here because you should add flour gradually as needed as step 3 says. It sounds like you may have added too much flour at once. You only need the 3/4 cup of water. I hope they turn out better next time! 🙂
Dan L
Thanks for the quick feedback! We are determined to taste garlicky fluffy goodness this weekend!
VERONICA MARTIN DOWDY
Awesome!
VASkipper
So delicious. Thank you for making this easy. And I’m with you on the amount of garlic sauce. We used the residual to dip our bread in. Mmmmm
I only had AP flour and traditional (not rapid) yeast and both worked fine.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much! :0
Malak
Thank you sam now I can make the garlic knots I can preheat the oven to the middle
Malak
Hi sam I am going to try your garlic knots later. But I have one question I have my oven preheated at 180 Celsius and 220 Celsius and you said in the video to preheat the oven to 400 f means 205 Celsius so do I choose 180 Celsius or 220 Celsius
Sam
Hmmm can you set it somewhere in the middle so it’s at 205C. That’s really the ideal temperature to bake these.