Photo Collage of Fluffy Homemade Garlic Knots

These are the fluffiest Garlic Knots! Cooks of any level can make these garlic butter-brushed knots of carbalicious heaven.

The first time I ever tried a garlic knot was at a pizzeria in NYC’s Upper West Side, and I instantly fell in love.

Garlic Knots - Shown about Palm Sized with One Held Up and Some on Tray

It all started as a way to use up leftover scraps of pizza dough, but they bake up so differently depending on what you do with it.

You can take the same dough, and either have a relatively flat thin-crust pizza, or a big, fluffy bundle of dough, all determined by how you prepare it.

The garlic knot recipe I’m sharing is a variation on a general pizza crust, with an extra fluffy and doughy texture:

Tearing Apart a Fluffy Garlic Knot to Show Soft Interior

As you can see from the picture, the interior is quite soft and pulls so beautifully.

The dough here is brushed with a simple pizzeria-style garlic powder butter, but you can also make a fresh garlic butter if you prefer.

I’ve posted garlic knots before, and did a fresh garlic parsley butter for those. The two taste very different and I wouldn’t say one is necessarily better than the other. It just depends on your mood! 

How to Make Garlic Knots from Scratch:

Start by combining yeast, warm water, and sugar (optional) in a bowl of a stand mixer, and let it sit for 10 minutes, until foamy:

Activated Foamy Yeast in Water

Add flour, salt, and olive oil, and mix it up for a few seconds with the dough hook, to get it roughly combined:

Garlic Knot Dough in Mixing Bowl with Dough Hook

Knead the dough for 10 minutes on medium low speed until it forms a smooth ball:

Pizza Dough in Mixing Bowl

Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for about an hour, until the dough doubles in size:

Risen Pizza Dough in Stand Mixer Bowl

Cut the dough up into 16 pieces, roll each piece into a rope shape, and tie each piece into a knot:

Pieces of garlic Knot Dough on Counter in Various Shapes

The knots don’t have to look perfect, and they will puff up more as they bake.

Divide the garlic knots between two silicone mat (affiliate) lined baking sheets, and let them rise for an hour, until they puff up in size:

Tied Garlic Knots Unbaked on Silicone Mat

Brush the knots with a garlic powder butter mixture:

brushing Unbaked garlic Knots with Butter

And into the oven they go!

When they come out, they should be lightly golden on top and very fluffy:

Hand Grabbing Soft Garlic Knot on Silicone Mat

Buffalo Garlic Knots are a variation I’ve done that’s stuffed with blue cheese and basted with buffalo sauce, if you want to try some variations. 

I also serve these with Chicken Wings and Blue Cheese Dip if I’m making food for a party. 

There’s a full video below the recipe if you’d like more guidance. Enjoy!

Garlic Knots on a Silicone Mat

Garlic Knots

Servings: 16 garlic knots, or two sheet pans worth
Prep Time: 2 hrs 15 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins
These are the fluffiest garlic knots! Bakers of any level can make these easy little knots of carbalicious heaven, brushed with a simple garlic butter.
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup warm water (115 degrees F)
  • 1 packet quick rise yeast (2.25 tsp)
  • 1 tsp sugar optional
  • 12.5 oz bread flour, by weight (2.5 cups, measured)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp salted butter
  • 2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions 

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, yeast, and sugar, if using, in a bowl. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes, until it gets foamy (this means the yeast is active and ready to go). 
  • Add the bread flour, olive oil, and salt, and mix briefly with the dough hook to roughly combine, then fit the stand mixer with the dough hook and knead the dough for 10 minutes on medium low speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic. 
  • Shape the dough into a ball, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, which should take about 60 minutes in a warm kitchen.
  • Lightly flour a board, shape the dough into a ball or rectangle, and divide the dough into 16 pieces. 
  • Roll each piece into a long rope about 5-6 inches long, then tie it into a knot. If the dough is hard to tie because it's sticky, roll the cut part in a little bit of flour to make it easier.
  • Once you have tied up all the dough, split the 16 knots between two baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Cover well with plastic wrap, a towel, or a lid (this baking sheet with a lid is one of my favorite kitchen things I’ve ever bought). Let the dough rise for about an hour, until doubled in size and puffy.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, and prep the garlic butter by microwaving the butter until melted, and stirring in the garlic powder. Brush the knots with the garlic butter.
  • Bake the garlic knots one sheet pan at a time for 8-10 minutes in the lower third of the oven, until lightly golden on top. To check that they are done, they should read 195 on an instant read thermometer, or you can just tear one open. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 114kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 97mg, Fiber: 1g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: garlic knots, how to make garlic knots

Post updated in March 2019. Originally published July 2014.