These homemade Garlic Knots are made completely from scratch in just over an hour! My recipe is easy (no mixer needed) and makes perfectly chewy, buttery, and garlicky knots. Includes a how-to video!
Quick & Easy Garlic Knots
So many recipes for garlic knots start with pre-made dough, and while I totally understand being in a rush, nothing stacks up to the taste of a completely from-scratch recipe. Maybe I’m biased, but homemade is always better! Especially with a recipe as easy as this one.
Just like my homemade breadsticks, this homemade garlic knots recipe starts with my simple, from-scratch pizza dough. It’s a very easy yeast dough that’s great for beginners, so don’t be intimidated if you don’t often bake with yeast (like I was for the longest time). If you can stir and you can tie a knot, you can make this recipe!
Once your knots are tied and baked, you will generously brush them with garlic butter before serving. The butter (and that garlicky flavor) will absorb into the bread for a burst of lip-smacking goodness. The final result is equally as tasty on its own as it is when dipped in sauce from baked ziti, beef ragu, or chicken pasta. You are just going to love these!
What You Need
Look at that, only 10 ingredients! I told you this recipe was easy 😉 Here’s what you need:
- Flour. Either bread flour or all-purpose flour will work, but you will get slightly different results from each. Bread flour is my preference, as it gives the knots a slightly more crisp exterior and a chewier interior. All-purpose flour will make them softer and fluffier. While I like my cakes to be soft and fluffy, I prefer my garlic knots to be a bit chewier.
- Yeast. This recipe uses instant/rapid rise yeast for quick and easy results. If you’d like to use active dry yeast, you can. I talk a bit more about this below!
- Garlic. We are adding a bit of garlic powder (just half a teaspoon) into our dough, but most of the garlic flavor is going to come from our buttery, garlic-infused topping.
- Fresh basil. Fresh parsley would alternatively work!
- Parmesan cheese. Optional, but highly recommended for restaurant-style knots.
SAM’S TIP: As with many of my yeast recipes, the amount of flour you will ultimately need will vary depending on the conditions of your kitchen. Do NOT dump it all in at once; just add it gradually until your dough reaches the right consistency. Watch the video below if you would like a visual of what this looks like!
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Garlic Knots
- Dry ingredients – Combine 1 cup of flour with the remaining dry ingredients, then stir in the oil and warm water.
- Gradually add more flour as needed until the dough becomes elastic and cohesive.
- Let rise – Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Deflate and divide – Gently deflate the dough and form it into a 15″ log before cutting into 9 even pieces.
- Tie into knots – Roll each piece into an 8″ rope, tie in a knot, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake – Brush each garlic knot with olive oil (optional) and let sit for 5 minutes. Bake for 13 minutes at 400F.
- Brush with garlic butter after baking and sprinkle with grated parmesan just before serving.
SAM’S TIP: This is optional, but I like to brush my knots with olive oil before baking to encourage them to turn a beautiful golden brown in the oven. It’s a quick and simple extra step!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can prepare the dough as indicated and place in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. When ready to bake, brush your knots with olive oil and bake as directed.
If you’d like to freeze your homemade garlic knots before baking, make sure to do so in an airtight container as well. Frozen knots can be baked straight from the freezer (don’t forget to brush with olive oil before baking!), but they will need to a minute or two longer in the oven.
Active dry yeast will work, but your rise times will be longer than indicated here. I suggest you proof the yeast with the warm water and a pinch of the sugar before adding it to the dry ingredients.
Just like you would tie a regular knot! Once you have your dough in a rope shape, bring the two ends together, then cross one end over, under, and through the other. I demonstrate this in my video below, if you’d like a visual.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! We make these frequently and pair them with everything from my meatballs to beef stew! If you’re serving them as an appetizer instead of a side, I highly suggest making a batch of my homemade marinara for dipping.
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Garlic Knots
Ingredients
- 2-2 ⅓ cups (250-295 g) bread flour* divided
- 1 packet instant yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil + additional
- ¾ cup (180 ml) warm water 105-115F [40-46C]
Garlic Butter:
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter
- 3 cloves minced garlic about 1 ½ Tablespoons
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh basil
- Grated parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F (205C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup (125g) of flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt, and garlic powder and stir well.2-2 ⅓ cups (250-295 g) bread flour*, 1 packet instant yeast, 1 ½ teaspoons sugar, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Add olive oil and warm water and use a wooden spoon to stir until all ingredients are well-combined.2 Tablespoons olive oil + additional, ¾ cup (180 ml) warm water
- Gradually add another 1 cup (125g) of flour. Add any additional flour as needed (I've found that sometimes I need as much as an additional ⅓ cup), stirring until the dough forms a cohesive, elastic ball and is beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl (see video below recipe for visual). The dough will still be tacky but still should be manageable with your hands.
- Drizzle a separate, large, clean bowl generously with olive oil and use a pastry brush to brush up the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer your dough to prepared bowl and roll the dough through the oil until the entire surface of the dough is lightly coated with oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place on top of your oven to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, use your hands to gently deflate it and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Form into a log about 15” long and cut into 9 even pieces.
- Roll each piece between your palms and slightly pull it to form a rope about 8” long (lightly dust the dough with flour if needed).
- Carefully tie each rope into a knot (see video for guidance) and place on prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush with olive oil if desired.
- Set tray on top of warm oven and let garlic knots rest/rise for 5 minutes before baking.
- Transfer to oven and bake on 400F (205C) for 13 minutes or until just beginning to turn a light golden brown. Meanwhile, prepare garlic butter.
Garlic Butter
- Combine butter and garlic in a small saucepan over medium/low heat. Cook until butter is melted and garlic is fragrant.4 Tablespoons salted butter, 3 cloves minced garlic
- Remove from heat and stir in minced basil. Once knots have finished baking, use a pastry brush to generously brush garlic butter mixture over each knot. Sprinkle with grated parmesan, if desired.1 Tablespoon minced fresh basil, Grated parmesan cheese
- Enjoy served warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Tonisia G.
Delicious, cooked these as a family to pair with spaghetti since being stuck inside has allowed us recreate our routine! We also prepared the homemade pretzels from this site for dessert!
Sugar Spun Run
I love that you made them as a family, Tonisia! I hope everyone had fun being apart of the process. I am so happy to hear that everyone enjoyed them. Thanks for trying my recipes. 🙂
JoDee
These were fantastic! I followed the recipe to a T (OK, I let the dough rise about an hour instead of 30 minutes because I was busy making meatballs- but that’s about how long it took to double for me) and am OBSESSED with them. They are so amazingly chewy and garlicky I can’t say enough good things about them!! I will be making these again and again and I can’t wait to try them for company! Perfect compliment to a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, JoDee! I am happy to hear that they paired perfectly with your dinner and you will be making them again. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Sara
I made these and got rave reviews. I made a few small changes, I made my strips/knots much thinner so they came out bite sized. I also used almost 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley in place of basil (since that is how I am used to having them) and added another tablespoon of butter and some salt to the sauce. Once they came out of the oven, I drizzled the butter sauce on them and also sprinkled a good amount of fresh grated Parmesan on top and some fresh ground pepper. I served them with a ramekin of warm marinara sauce for dipping…they were gone in minutes. They were just like the ones at a restaurant I used to frequent in David Island Florida. Will be making these a lot. Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that the garlic knots were such a hit, Sara! Thank you for trying my recipe and sharing the modifications you made to make them to your liking. I appreciate the feedback! 🙂
Dave
I just made these garlic knots and they are awesome! These just earned a spot on the recipe rotation.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Dave! 🙂
Jenn
I’m excited to try these! I have a wall oven so just wondering if I can just let the dough rise on the countertop? Or maybe let sit for longer? I’m making homemade cream of mushroom soup and thinking these would be a great addition!
Sugar Spun Run
This would pair perfectly with our homemade soup, Jenn! Yes, you should be fine letting them rise on the countertop as long as your kitchen is a warmer temperature. If not, they will just need to sit a little longer. Enjoy the garlic knots. 🙂
Tammy
I really enjoyed the recipe for garic knots! It was my most favorite of all! Thanks again for your video that made it more enjoyable!😁
Sam
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed, Tammy!! Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know how they turned out for you! 🙂
Claire
I made these with my sisters and they were amazing! They were so soft and fluffy – just like the ones at a great restaurant. I will be making these again soon
Sam
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks for letting me know how you liked the garlic knots, Claire, I appreciate it! 🙂
isabelle frost
this was such a nice dough and the knots were so easy to make. there was just too much garlic for me but next time i will cut down on the fresh garlic. they turned out beautiful.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the garlic knots, Isabelle! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Allisa
Thanks so much for the recipe! Definitely will be trying it soon!
Sugar Spun Run
You are welcome, Allisa! I hope that you enjoy the garlic knots. 🙂
Heather
Can these be made ahead and frozen? Would you bake them before freezing? They are delicious, I make them often. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Sam
Hi Heather! I have not frozen them, but if you wanted to freeze them, you could do it before baking. I would make the dough roll out the garlic knots and then wrap them individually and stick in a freezer bag. They would probably need a little more time in the oven when baking from frozen. 🙂
ryma
Thankyou for the recipe sugar spun sam.My garlic knots look so beautiful and so delicious because your recipe is folowable not like ither bread recipes I tried.Once again thankyou so much
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the garlic knots so much! Thank you for the kind comment. 🙂
Sarah
Wonderful recipe, thanks, Sam! No more store bought garlic bread for me. These were easy to make (your helpful videos rock!) and tasted great. Made as instructed!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Sarah! Homemade is always better if you ask me. 🙂
Valerie L.
Hi, I have always been intimidated about making recipes that have yeast as one of the ingredients. However, after watching your helpful video, I am definitely going to give this delicious-looking recipe a try. Thanks, Sam!
Sam
I hope you love it, Valerie! Baking with yeast really isn’t as intimidating as it seems 🙂
Deeksha
Garlic knots look awesome!! I am sure going to try this week!
Sam
Thank you! I hope you LOVE them!!
Mikaru86
I’m very happy to see that you are getting more into yeast recipes. I remember back when you were very hesitant to try them and I kept insisting that you should try them more 😉
Those garlic knots look amazing by the way. I think I’ll have to try them some time 🙂
Sam
It intimidated me for the LONGEST time! Thank you so much for all of your encouragement, it really was a big help to me! And thank you!! Have a great weekend! 🙂