Garlic Knots are a bite-sized appetizer made with strips of pizza crust dough, folded in knots, and smothered in a garlic butter sauce.
GARLIC KNOTS
Garlic Knots have been around for decades as a way to use up leftover pizza crust dough. Now, they are on many pizzeria menus and other restaurant menus as an appetizer. The buttery, garlicky knots of bread dough are perfect to enjoy as you wait for your pizza or to dip in your spaghetti. They are small enough to not spoil your appetite (if you can stop eating them, that is…).
GARLIC KNOTS INGREDIENTS
Pizza Crust Dough: I used store-bought thin-crust pizza dough. You can also make a homemade thin pizza crust; it is super simple, doesn’t require rise time, and is ready in under 30 minutes.
Garlic Butter: Garlic butter with parmesan cheese is the flavor that will cover the bread dough after the knots have been baked.
FOLDING THE PIZZA DOUGH INTO KNOTS
The hardest part of this garlic knots recipe (if you can even call it hard) is to knot the ropes of pizza crust dough. To do this, first, remove the dough from the tube and divide it into 16 equal portions. Next, roll each portion into a 12-inch rope. Use cooking spray to help the dough come together if needed. Once the dough pieces have been rolled into ropes, follow these steps:
- Tie the dough rope into a loose knot. There should be about an inch to an inch and a half on each end after tying.
- Fold one end under the knot.
- Fold the other end over the knot, meeting the other end in the center.
- Place knot on a prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat with the remaining dough ropes.
HOW TO MAKE GARLIC KNOTS
Once the pizza crust dough has been rolled in knots and placed in a single layer on a baking sheet, it’s time to bake them and saturate them with the garlic butter! Bake the knots for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. While the knots are baking, make the garlic butter.
To make the garlic butter, melt the stick of butter in a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Then, add the garlic, parmesan cheese, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Mix well. Finally, once the knots are baked, add them to the garlic butter and toss evenly to coat. Serve warm.
Ingredients
- 1 can (11 ounces) refrigerated thin crust pizza dough
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 teaspoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- marinara sauce, garlic sauce, or ranch dressing, for dipping (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F and prepare a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Remove dough from the tube and divide into 16 equal portions.
Roll each portion into a 12-inch rope. Use cooking spray to help the dough come together.
Tie the dough rope into a loose knot. (There should be an excess of about an inch on each side.) Tuck one end under and into the center of the knot, and tuck the other end over, into the center of the knot. Repeat with the remaining dough ropes.
Place knots in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until deep golden brown.
Meanwhile, as the knots are baking, in a bowl, melt butter. Then, add garlic, parmesan, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
When ready, add the cooked knots to the butter mixture and toss to evenly coat.
Serve warm with optional dipping sauce.
