Garlic Knots

By dunn1412

Ingredients

• 10 garlic cloves, minced (you’ll need 2 tablespoons garlic, total)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
• 1 teaspoon PLUS 3/4 cup water, heated to 110°F
• 1 &1/8 teaspoons rapid-arise or instant yeast
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Details

Servings 12
Adapted from apoundofyeast.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cook garlic, 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon water in a small, non-stick skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is “straw-colored”, about 8-10 minutes.

Add remaining butter, stirring until melted.
Let stand 10 minutes off heat.Strain butter through small, fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl, and reserve garlic solids.

Whisk remaining 3/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon of the garlic butter, reserved garlic solids and yeast in cup until yeast dissolves.
Mix flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.With mixer on low, stream in the water/yeast mixture and beat until dough comes together, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, and clears the bowl, about 6 to 10 minutes. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand briefly to form a smooth, cohesive ball. Transfer to greased bowl or doubler, cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise until doubled, approximately 40-50 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Deflate dough onto a floured surface and roll or pat into a 12x6-inch rectangle. Cut into 12, 6-inch long strips. Roll or pat each strip into a “rope” 12 inches long. Tie into a knot by first making a loop about 1&1/2-inches in diameter, and looping ends over each other. Then take the “bottom” end, and tuck over the loop, down through the center. Take the “top” end, and tuck under the loop, poking it up through the center and pressing down a bit to seal it. Place the knot on the prepared baking sheet, and repeat for remaining dough.

Remove plastic, and place sheet of knots into the oven for 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and brush knots with 2 tablespoons of the remaining garlic butter. Rotate the pan and return to the oven. Bake until golden, about another 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and brush with the last of the garlic butter, sprinkling with sesame or poppy seeds if desired (coarse salt would also rock, now wouldn’t it??). Cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool a bit more. Serve warm.
**Knots can be made to the shaping step (before the second rise) and refrigerated, covered, for 24 hours. Remove from fridge and let sit until dough doubles, then proceed with baking.