NYC Style Garlic Knots

OK, so there aren't many things that I miss about NYC since moving here to Austin, TX. I've said this to many of our friends, the only things I do miss are our family, friends and certain foods. One of those things is NY style pizza and garlic knots. There's nothing like grabbing a fresh slice and a couple of garlic knots for lunch on the go. Brings back a lot of memories of college and many many lunch dates with my husband. But since moving here, we've only had garlic knots from one place and while it was pretty good, it just wasn't the same. The dough was good, but there was just too much of it. And not enough garlic, parmesan goodness sprinkled on top. So with that craving firmly planted in my mind, I decided to make my own NYC Style Garlic Knots. No refrigerated dough here!

There's not much that beats fresh baked bread and this is no different. These knots come out soft, feathery with a salty garlicky topping that keeps you coming back for more! And the best part is how easy they are to make! I started making these at 4p and they were ready for dinner by 6:30p. How great is that!? There aren't a whole lot of ingredients that go into the dough. A simple mix of bread flour, yeast, olive oil, salt and water. Once it mixes together, knead on a floured board for a bit till it becomes smooth (doesn't take that long at all) then let it rise for 90 minutes. I honestly let it rise for 60 minutes in my oven with the proof setting on, and it turned out fine.

Then comes my favorite part about making bread...shaping. It's like play dough for adults.... that you can eat. Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disk. Cut each disk into 8 pieces, much like you would a pizza. Take each wedge of dough and roll out into a long snake about 6 inches long. Cross each end of the dough and loop it through like you would tying your shoes. Gently pull one end through and you got yourself a knot!  Place this on a parchment lined baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the dough wedges. Cover the pans with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and allow to rise for another 30 minutes.

Once they have risen, pop them into the oven for 20 minutes at 450F. While they bake make the garlic butter by melting butter and the garlic oil in a small sauce pan. Drop in the minced garlic and allow to cook for about 1-2 minutes. Don't let it brown! Take it off the heat and add in the garlic salt and parsley. Brush this over the baked knots. Sprinkle with generously with cheese and you have yourself some pretty NYC worthy garlic knots! I could eat these as a meal dipped in marinara sauce... but they also go great with pasta, salad and anything that needs a bready accompaniment!

Homemade Scratch Garlic Knots

*Adapted from Baker by Nature

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 3 and 3/4 cups bread flour
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons garlic olive oil, plus more to coat a bowl (regular olive oil is fine too!)

For the garlic coating:

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 tbsp garlic olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Method

1. For the dough:
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook add the bread flour, sugar, yeast and salt; gently whisk to combine. Turn mixer on low speed and add the warm water and 2 tablespoons of the garlic olive oil; beat until the dough forms a ball around the hook. If the dough is super sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.
3. Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place the bowl in a warm area to rise for 90 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Place each round of dough onto a piece plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes. Dust the top of each round of dough with a light sprinkling of flour and, using a sharp knife, slice each into quarters. Press each quarter into a rectangle, then slice in half again. You should have 16 pieces of dough. Dust each piece with a little flour and quickly shape into individual balls. Roll out each ball into a long rope then tie it into a knot. Place the knots on the prepared baking sheet, Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and allow to rise again for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 450F. When the 30 minutes are up, remove the plastic wrap and place the garlic knots in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until knots are golden brown and firm.
6. Meanwhile make the garlic butter coating: Heat the butter with the garlic oil in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add in the garlic and simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant (be sure not to over cook it here). Add in the parsley and garlic salt and stir to combine. Taste to season (add more salt, if needed), then remove from heat. Set aside until needed.
7. Cool for 5 minutes, then brush the freshly baked knots with the garlic coating. Sprinkle with cheese and serve warm!