Garlic knots
Keeping with the theme for the week, we are doing another I-talian classic! Garlic knots are just a fan favourite that are easy, full of flavour, and great for a party or do. This recipe ensures a really lovely developed crust, a soft inside, and buttery garlicky goodness.
For the dough you will need:
- 300 ml water, room temperature
- 2 and a quarter tsp or one packet active dry yeast
- 1tsp salt and some extra for topping
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp butter, room temp/soft
- 475-500g plain flour
- 120g Bi-carb soda
For the dressing:
- 4 Tbsp parsley, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
Directions
Bloom yeast in warm water (1 part hot to 2 parts cold) for 1 minute in your mixing bowl. Whisk in the salt, sugar and soft butter. Slowly mix in 400g flour. Using a dough hook, mix on low until the dough is thick, approximately 10 minutes. If doing by hand, use a wooden spoon and mix for about 15 minutes. Add the remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky, you may not use it all. To check if it is ready, poke the dough, if it isn’t sticky and the dough bounces back, you are good to go. Do not be afraid to keep adding flour until this is achieved.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead and shape into a ball. Cover the dough and let rest for 10 minutes. Whilst resting, prep the lye bath by adding ~2 litres of water to a pot with 120g of bi-carb. Bring to bath to a boil and preheat the oven to 240c.
Mix all of your ingredients for the dressing and gently melt together. Set aside so that you can brush it onto your prepared knots.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat. I prefer to use a Silpat but if using parchment, just lightly oil it after fitting it to the tray.
Return to your dough, with a sharp knife cut the dough into
equal portions. Roll each portion into a rope, coat with flour, and tie into a knot.
Once all the knots are shaped, drop them into the
boiling bath, avoiding overcrowding the pot, and let them bathe for approximately 25 seconds. Do not
exceed 30 seconds as this will alter their taste. Fish the knots out with a
slotted spatula or spoon and allow as much of the excess water to drop off. Place the
knots onto the prepared baking sheets and brush with the buttery garlic mix. Repeat with the remaining knots until they have all had a bath.
Bake the knots for 10 minutes then brush with more butter and return to the oven to back for a further 5 minutes, or until nice and brown. Once the knots have reached your desired colour, pull them from the oven and toss in a bowl with the remaining butter mix, sprinkle with some salt (or garlic salt if you want even more punch) and serve warm and enjoy a vampire-free evening!