Best Recipe for Garlic Knots from The Food Charlatan. (2024)

One time in college my best friend Sarah taught a session at a church activity. It was called “How to Make an Impressive Dinner,” and we made it all, from main dish to sides to dessert. A bunch of 19 and 20 year old girls cooking fancy food in a run down apartment in Provo, Utah. Good times.

She made homemade rolls and I thought it was the most amazing thing ever (or dare I say, impressive). I didn’t know making yeasty bread was a thing you could actually DO. My mom never baked anything with yeast. I think she was just always too offended by the “knead for 8 minutes” part.

When we left for college, Mom gave each of her kids a little booklet of typed up recipes. Easy stuff that was cheap and quick, like Chicken and Broccoli Stuffand “Chicken Patties and Mashed Potatoes” (literally just frozen chicken patties paired with homemade mashed potatoes. A last-minute staple growing up. I think this is one of my mom’s favorite meals to this day.)

There is a table of contents at the front (I still have my copy) and there’s a category for bread. But when you turn to the bread page, instead of recipes it says:

BREADS:Go to the bread aisle of the grocery store or day-old bread store. Pick out something that looks good, like garlic or French bread for Italian dishes, whole wheat or cracked wheat for toast and sandwiches, soft rolls for most everything else, though sourdough is also good. (Sorry–I don’t do yeast. If you want recipes for actual homemade bread and rolls, I suggest calling your aunt Shirley.)

So there you have it guys. If this recipe has too much kneading for you, follow Mom’s instructions above.

What are Garlic Knots?

Garlic knots are a little bit like if pizza dough and garlic bread had a baby. They’re a perfectly chewy and satisfying knot-shaped dinner roll absolutely drenched in homemade garlic butter. Imagine your lasagna getting upstaged, because that’s exactly what’s going to happen when you plunk these down on the table. They’re irresistible and one batch is definitely not enough for my family.

Garlic Bread Knots ingredients

Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!

Best Garlic Knots Recipe substitutions

Want to make these rolls for your vegan friends (or just ran out of butter)? You can use ½ cup olive oil in the garlic sauce instead of half butter and half olive oil. They’re still absolutely delicious (and that’s the way my friend’s mom Anne makes them).

If you want breadsticks instead of knots, you can simply roll these out 8 inches long and lay them out on a sheet pan. Start checking them at 15 minutes since they may bake a little faster.

Don’t have bread flour? All purpose flour is fine. Your garlic knots will just be a little bit less chewy, still delicious. Note that you may need just a little more flour than if you were using bread flour – adjust according to the bread’s consistency.

How to make Garlic Knots

This recipe is from Sarah’s mom, Anne, (aren’t moms the best?) who also gave me her recipe for Garlic and Rosemary Skillet Bread. What can I say, this woman knows her garlicky yeast breads. (She does sweet yeast too. HerMaple Butter Twist Coffee Cake is amazing.) And I gotta admit, making these is a lot of fun. Check out the fun stuff you get to do with the dough:

Here’s a quick overview of how to make these garlic knots. Scroll down to the recipe card for complete instructions!

1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, add the yeast, warm water and sugar. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes to proof.
2. Stir in the salt, olive oil, and 1 cup of flour. Switch to the dough hook if you’re using a mixer and stir in another 1 and 1/2 cups flour.
3. Knead for 7-8 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour a few tablespoons at a time if the dough is sticking to the sides and bottom. You want the dough to be smooth and elastic.
4. Grease a large bowl with nonstick spray or rub with olive oil. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in the greased bowl. Turn it over so that the top half gets oiled.
5. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for about 1 and 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
6. Once the dough is risen, punch down and let rest for another 10 minutes.
7. Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.
8. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into an 8-inch snake and then carefully tie each rolled-out piece into a knot.
9. Place each knot on the prepared baking sheets. Cover with tea towels and let rise until doubled in size.
10. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, then bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are golden and the bottoms are brown. Remove from the oven and let the rolls cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
11. While the rolls are baking, make the garlic butter sauce. In a small saucepan, add butter, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat for about 3-5 minutes, until the garlic has just barely started to brown. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley. Let cool slightly.
12. Dip each roll in the garlic butter sauce. It helps to spoon some on top to make sure you get garlic in the knot crevices. Place on a wire rack. Serve warm.

How to tie Garlic Bread Knots

Tying garlic knots is pretty simple, even though they look impressive. Start by dividing the dough into 12 equal pieces, each a little less than 2 ounces. Roll each piece into an 8-inch snake, between 1/2 and 1 inch thick, then carefully tie each rolled-out piece into a knot. You’ll want the ends to stick out just a little – most of the dough is making the knot itself, not hanging out the end. Don’t stress though, no matter how you shape them that garlicky butter is going to make everything taste amazing.

What to serve this Recipe for Garlic Knots with

These garlic knots make the perfect bread to serve with Italian food. They’d also be great with any hearty soup or stew. Here are some of my favorite recipes for dipping these knots in!

Bolognese Sauce << this long-simmered, insanely flavorful sauce is worth the long simmer.

Chicken Alfredo << your favorite restaurant order, now with garlic knots on the side.

Killer Homemade Lasagna << this is the ultimate lasagna, you have GOT to try it.

Crockpot Beef and Barley Soup << makes your whole house smell soooo good!

Italian Wedding Soup << dipping a garlic knot in THIS? The definition of cozy.

Minestrone with Sausage and Pesto << absolutely packed with goodness (and meat).

How to store leftover Garlic Bread Knots

You can store leftover garlic knots on the counter in a tupperware or ziplock. In my opinion they’re just as good if not better the next day. There’s no need to refrigerate them.

If I were going to freeze these, I would skip making the garlic butter sauce. Freeze the rolls in a ziplock after cooling from the oven. To thaw, leave rolls on the counter, sealed in the bag, for a couple hours. Reheat in the oven on a baking sheet for 5-10 minutes at 350. Then continue with the dipping in step 17.

Should you refrigerate garlic knots?

You don’t need to refrigerate garlic knots. It’s perfectly fine to leave them on the counter in a ziplock or container with a lid. If you’re making garlic knots with a mozzarella and spinach filling (not part of this recipe) then you’d need to refrigerate those since the filling is perishable.

Best Garlic Knots Recipe FAQs