These soft garlic knots are made with enriched bread dough (not pizza dough!) so we can infuse the dough with Italian herbs + garlic powder. Then garlic butter is brushed onto each knot before they bake in a quick 15 minutes, creating fluffy, savory bread knots from scratch!
The Soft Garlic Knots I Make for Pizza Night
Anytime my family has a big get-together, it's a safe bet that there's going to be garlic knots involved. And while most recipes out there use pizza dough, I wanted to create a version that stays soft and fluffy for days. So I adapted my pull-apart cheesy pizza bread with its buttery layers to create these easy garlic bread knots!
The addition of eggs + melted butter keeps them tender, and making the dough from scratch lets me mix Italian seasoning + garlic powder right into the dough for maximum flavor.
Just before they go in the oven, I brush each knot with a mixture of melted butter, dried herbs, and minced garlic so they come out golden & glossy. And in testing, I found that fresh garlic gives the best flavor for the topping, and doesn't burn when it's mixed first with the butter. And even though there's already garlic two-ways in these knots, sometimes I brush my garlic compound butter on top right after they come out of the oven.
Let's Bake Garlic Knots!
For the full step-by-step directions, scroll down to the recipe card.
Serving Suggestion
I love serving these easy garlic knots as an appetizer or side dish with warmed marinara sauce for dipping, or as I like to call it, handheld pizza vibes.
Baking Tips from My Kitchen
- Kneading the Dough: Make sure you knead the dough the full 6-8 minutes by hand or 4-5 minutes in the stand mixer to get them soft & fluffy instead of dense.
- Tying the Knots: Tuck the short ends underneath each knot so they don't unravel as the knots bake. And I tie mine loosely so there's room to expand as they proof and bake.
Soft Garlic Bread Knots from Scratch
developed & tested by:
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- ⅔ cup warm water (between 100-110°F or 38-43°C)
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast (one packet)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt (use either table salt or fine sea salt)
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Topping
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt (use either table salt or fine sea salt)
- Optional: fresh chopped herbs (like parsley or basil)
Instructions
- Prep: Grease a clean mixing bowl with a little olive oil & set aside to place your kneaded dough into later.
- Wet Ingredients + Yeast and Sugar: In another mixing bowl, whisk the warm water with the sugar, instant yeast, eggs, and melted butter.
- Add the Dry Ingredients: Sprinkle the flour, salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning over the wet ingredients. Mix with a large spoon to combine everything into a soft, slightly shaggy dough.
- Knead the Dough: On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough by hand for 6-8 minutes, or until the dough is shiny, elastic, and tacky. (Or knead the dough in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment for 4-5 minutes.)
- Let it Rise: Shape the dough into a ball and place it into your greased mixing bowl from step 1. Cover it with a dinner plate or plastic wrap (to retain moisture and warmth). Let the dough rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, after about 2 hours.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper & set aside.
- Divide the Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it's 12 inches by 8 inches (30 cm by 20 cm). Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to slice the dough into 12 strips, so each strip is 1-inch (2.5 cm) wide and 8-inches (20 cm) long.
- Shape the Knots: Tie each strand of dough into a knot and tuck the edges underneath. Arrange them evenly spaced out on your baking sheet.
- Proof the Dough: Cover the baking sheet with a kitchen towel & set aside in a warm spot (like close to your pre-heating oven) for 30 minutes, until the knots puff up a little.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Make the Topping: Mix the melted butter, garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt in a bowl. Brush on the tops & sides of the dough knots.
- Bake & Serve: Bake the bread knots for 12-15 minutes, until they're golden on top. Optional: As soon as they come out of the oven, brush them with one additional tablespoon of melted butter, and sprinkle grated parmesan, freshly chopped herbs, or flaky salt on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Tying the Knots: I found it easier to tie the dough strips into knots by keeping the soft dough on the counter and moving the short ends, rather than trying to tie it between my hands in the air.
- Even Baking: I recommend pulling out a ruler or measuring tape to measure the dough when you roll it out to 12x8. This ensures all the knots are the same size, so they bake evenly & gets them long enough to tuck the ends underneath so they don't unravel.
Nutrition
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