Garlic Knots

Bread is one of those things that I looooooove to eat, but really don't enjoy making as much. It's not that  I don't like the actual making part, it's just all the idle waiting time that happens while the dough is rising. It takes forever!!

Can you tell I am NOT very patient?

All issues aside, I decided to make these garlic delights because, as I have told you many times, I adore garlic. Garlic anything is just fine with me!

These are actually a lot easier to make than I had anticipated, but they do take a while to make (grrr...rising dough...). It's alright though, once you finally get around to baking them all you need to do is slather them in butter, oil, and garlic and you're good to go!

That's my kind of bread!

TGIF everyone! Have a great weekend!

Garlic Knots
Prep time: 25mins      Rising Time: 2-4hrs   Bake Time: 12-15mins         (WW: 2pts per garlic knot)
Ingredients:
THE DOUGH
5 1/2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups hot water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsps active dry yeast
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp sea salt

THE GARLIC COATING
3 Tbsps olive oil
3 Tbsps unsalted butter
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt

Directions:
1) Measure flour into a large bowl, set aside. Mix together water, oil, yeast, sugar, and salt until yeast is fully dissolved. Pour water mixture over the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
2) Put dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it for a minute or two, until soft and slightly tacky (you can add more water or flour if the dough is too dry/wet). Transfer kneaded dough to a clean well-oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Store in a dry, draft-free area and let rise for 2-4 hours, or until dough has doubled in size.
3) Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Separate the prepared dough in half. Use olive oil to oil the counter top (or pastry mat), the rolling pin, and your hands. Place half the dough on the oiled surface and press down on the dough, flipping to press on the other side also (this will releases the trapped air and gasses). Using the rolling pin, flatten the dough into a large rectangle 5''x16'' and about a half inch thick. Using a pizza cutter cut the dough into 5''-long strips. Lightly flour the strips. Taking each strip individually, roll them on the counter into even dough-cords and then tie them in a knot and place on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat for each strip. Repeat the entire process for the second half of the dough.
4) Preheat oven to 400 F. Cover the baking pans with clean dish cloths or cheesecloth and let stand for about a half hour, or until the knots have about doubled in size. Once the knots are ready, place the baking sheets one at a time in the oven to bake for about 12-15mins, or until they begin to turn golden.
5) While knots are in the oven, prepare the garlic coating. In a small saucepan, heat oil, butter, and garlic until melted and combined. Add the parsley, cover and set aside until needed.
6) When the knots are done, remove from oven and immediately brush them with the butter mixture. Once they are coated, sprinkle with sea salt. Repeat process for all garlic knots. Serve warm.


(Recipe adapted from Browneyedbaker)