Garlic Knots

Make these little guys to serve with any Pasta dishes. I found this recipe on Facebook and tried making them, they where Wonderful. You can make some to go with Pizza night, spaghetti and meatballs or any pasta dinners.

Garlic Knots

1 3/4 cups of warm water at 115 degrees
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon of sea salt or other course salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of Active Dry Yeast
5 and 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

Topping

1/8 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced and crushed
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Combine water, olive oil, salt, sugar, and active dry yeast in a larger bowl. Mix so that yeast dissolves then add the flour and mix well.
Cover the bowl with a warm hand towel or greased plastic wrap and set in a warm spot until doubled in size (usually 1-3 hrs).

I then chill the dough for about 15 minutes to make it easier to work with, but you don't have to if your time is limited. You can oil your hands to help keep dough from sticking to them. Divide the dough in two parts. I throw the dough on an oiled surface several times to flatten it and then roll it into a rectangle about 5" x 16" and 1/2" thick. Next I use a pizza cutter to make 1/2" x 5" strips.

Sprinkle dough strips and work surface with flour. Taking the strip nearest to you, roll it back and forth to create an even rope. Tie into a knot (over, under, and through) and place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Place knots about an 1 1/2" apart. Using lots of flour to keep the dough from sticking to itself while making your knots makes it so much easier. Continue making the rest of the knots with the second half of the dough. After each sheet pan fills up, cover with a dry towel, and place in a warm, draft-free spot to rise.

Preheat oven to 400° degrees. After knots have doubled in size, take off the towel bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

 Garlic Oil Topping

While knots are baking, make garlic topping. Warm the olive oil, butter, and garlic in a small saucepan. Add chopped parsley and set aside. While the knots are still warm and just out of the oven, brush with the garlic oil and season with salt. Serve warm with your favorite pasta dish!