Small Batch Cheesy Garlic Knots (1 Cup of Flour!)
Garlic knots are great, but you know what’s even better? Garlic knots stuffed with cheese and topped with even more cheese and oh, what the heck, served alongside a big slice of cheesy pizza probably. These garlic knots have an intense garlicky flavor thanks to the combination of minced fresh garlic and garlic powder in the dough and in the garlic butter topping, but it’s the blend of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses that gives them that classic pizza parlor flavor.For the best results, use fresh, finely grated Parmesan cheese, not the stuff from the big plastic canister. And don’t worry about making perfect scout-approved knots; they’re going to be covered in melty, gloriously browned cheese anyway!
Ingredients
Garlic Knots Dough
- 120 grams all-purpose flour (1 cup, loosely scooped and aerated, plus more for dusting)
- 4 grams diamond crystal kosher salt (1 heaping teaspoon)
- 3 grams instant yeast (1 teaspoon)
- 2 grams garlic powder (½ teaspoon)
- 70 grams warm water (¼ cup + 2 teaspoons, 90°F)
- 7 grams garlic (1 heaping teaspoon, finely minced)
- 4 grams olive oil (1 teaspoon, plus a little more in the bowl)
- 12 half-inch cubes low-moisture mozzarella cheese
Garlic Butter
- 28 grams unsalted butter (2 tablespoons, melted)
- 7 grams garlic (1 heaping teaspoon, finely minced)
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
Cheese Topping
- 30 grams mozzarella cheese (heaping ¼ cup, shredded)
- 20 grams parmesan cheese (⅓ cup, fresh and finely grated)
Instructions
- Mix. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add the warm water, minced garlic, and oil. Use a dough whisk or a fork to mix until the liquid is absorbed and just a few dry bits remain, then use a bowl scraper or your hand to fold the dough over itself until it comes together.
- Knead. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and slightly tacky to the touch, about 2 minutes. The dough will feel rough and a little sticky at first but will smooth out as you knead. Add more flour only as needed to prevent sticking.
- First rise. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise until it doubles in size and passes the fingerprint test, 1 to 1½ hours.
- Shape. Gently deflate the dough with your fingertips and use a bench scraper to divide it into 6 equal portions (each piece should weigh about 35 grams). Roll each piece into a 7-inch rope. Use a rolling pin or your fingers to flatten a 2-to 3-inch section in the middle of the dough rope. Place 2 cubes of mozzarella cheese on the flattened portion of dough, then stretch and pinch the dough closed around them. Don’t worry about making it perfect! Cross the two ends of the rope over each other to make a loop. Tuck one end of the rope through the loop to make a knot. Don’t worry if your knots seem a little uneven, they will fill out as they rise.
- Second rise. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Arrange the 6 garlic knots on the prepared pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until quite puffy, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat. Toward the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Make the garlic butter. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, minced fresh garlic, and garlic powder.
- Top. Immediately before baking, spoon the garlic butter evenly over the knots. Top each one with a pinch of grated mozzarella and a generous dusting of Parmesan cheese.
- Bake. Bake the knots until the cheese is browned on top and the visible dough around the sides is pale golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes. Let the knots cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes before serving. These are best enjoyed while still warm!
If the dough seems too dry, add water ¼ teaspoon at a time during mixing until the dough looks right. If the dough is too wet and sticky to knead, very lightly dust in more flour as you knead until the dough matches the recipe cues.
RECIPE NOTES
- If you are measuring with cups, it is super important that you measure the ingredients properly. See my guide to measuring as accurately as possible by volume for how to do this. If you measure with cups/teaspoons and the recipe did not turn out right, that is likely why. Try again!
- Yes, you can use jarred garlic in this recipe. I tested it with both fresh raw garlic cloves that I finely minced into a paste by hand and with jarred garlic and both worked well.
- Don't flour your counter or hands when you're pinching the dough closed around the garlic knots; the flour will keep the dough from sticking to itself. You shouldn't need to flour the counter at all during shaping, but if the dough is really sticking to you when you try to do the knotting, dusting a little flour on your hands will help.
- Feeling fancy? Add some fresh or dried minced parsley and basil on top before baking!