Sourdough Garlic Knots with step-by-step instructions

These sourdough garlic knots pair perfectly with just about any meal. Tossed with a rich garlic butter and parmesan, these soft, fluffy knots, are hard to pass up. They’re a definitely crowd-pleaser!

Honestly, I don’t think I could ever get tired of classic sourdough bread. But, it never hurts to have a more diverse portfolio of sourdough recipes and flavors to serve up.

This garlic knot recipe is especially nice because you can mix the dough together in the morning, and have oven fresh sourdough garlic knots to go with dinner.

I’m not a big fan of overnight proofing, as it usually means finding room for a large bowl in my fridge. So I love to make same-day sourdough recipes that do their bulk fermentation on my kitchen counter during the day. The only thing I want fermenting overnight is my sourdough starter so it’s ready to rock and roll when I roll out of bed.

Ingredients for sourdough garlic knots

• Active sourdough starter. We use a simple white flour and water starter. As mentioned above, I like to feed my sourdough starter in the evening before bed, and make the dough in the morning, first thing. This works best for me, but you know your starter and your schedule best.
• All purpose flour. For this recipe, I use regular unbleached flour. It does have a lower protein content than bread flour, but I have had good results with it.
• Salt. This conditions the dough and adds flavor to it. I usually use sea salt, but again, the exact salt you use it up to you.
• Egg. This adds protein to the dough for structure (maybe that’s why all purpose flour works just fine), as well fat, for softness.
• Milk. Again, a source of protein and fat. These two things (egg and milk) will always help keep your baked goods soft and fluffy.
• Olive oil. Another, much more significant source of fat to help keep your dough tender, and soft. I use light tasting olive oil.
• Butter. This is for the topping to really soak in the flavor of the garlic.
• Garlic. The flavor we’re all here for. I definitely recommend mincing fresh garlic for this to get the most pungent flavor.
• Parsley. Not only is it pretty, parsley adds a subtle herbaceous flavor to your garlic knots.
• Parmesan cheese. A more pungent flavor that pairs perfectly with garlic and butter.

Recipe substitutes and changes

Anything you change in the dough will affect your flavor, texture, and even fermenting/rise time.

If you swap milk for water, your dough will be slightly drier, get stale faster, and be more crumbly.

So if you’re going to make changes, I suggest you limit them to the garlic butter topping, since that is primarily a flavor preference, and won’t have a real effect on the roll itself.

You can adjust the amount of garlic, parsley, and parmesan up or down. Omit the parmesan if desired, add Cajun seasoning for a spicier butter, etc.

How to Make Sourdough Garlic Knots

1. The evening before you plan to make the garlic knots, feed your sourdough starter, and let sit loosely covered in a mixing bowl or jar at room temperature overnight to mature.
2. In the morning, combine flour and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer.
   
   
3. Add active starter, warm milk (about 110ºf), egg, and olive oil to mixer, and mix together with a dough hook attachment.
   
   
4. Once dough has mixed thoroughly and has come together, let knead for 6-8 minutes, until the gluten has developed and dough has smoothed out into a nice ball that can be handled without making a mess all over your hands.
5. Cover, and let dough rise until doubled. If my kitchen is chilly, this can take almost all day, which is great for making them for dinner. If I’m cooking, baking, or otherwise set the dough in a warm spot, it will take 2-3 hours.
   
   
6. When ready, separate the dough into 12-14 equal portions, and roll out into 6-8 inch long logs
   
   
7. Tie each “log” into a knot, and fold the ends underneath.
   
   
8. Place each knot, ends down, on a greased parchment-lined baking sheet.
9. Place the sheet of knots in a warm place, such as a warmed oven, or on top of the stove while the oven is being used, for a second rise, about 30-45 minutes.
10. Preheat oven to 350º.
11. Whisk an egg, and brush egg over each knot.
    
    
12. Place knots in the oven, and bake for about 20 minutes, until they have begun to turn golden brown.
13. While the sourdough knots are baking, melt butter in a small sauce pan.
14. Add minced garlic cloves to melted butter. Let simmer gently for 2-3 minutes.
15. Add minced parsley, and stir together.
    
    
16. Remove from heat.
17. When knots are done baking, remove from oven, and place in a large bowl.
18. Drizzle with the garlic butter, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese
19. Use tongs, or large spoons to toss until each knot is evenly coated.
    
    
20. Serve warm, or as desired.

To store leftovers, I like to put them in a glass container with an airtight lid on them so that I can heat them up in the oven before serving later. You could also store them in a ziplock bag, but I don’t like storing buttery, messy things in bags.

These can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.

Pro-tips:

Since these garlic knots are deliciously buttery, it can be helpful to serve them on parchment paper to keep the butter from getting on tea towels etc. 

Use freshly grated parmesan, or the powdery, canned, grated parmesan. But with either one, I definitely recommend not heating it with your butter, as it will melt. Sprinkle it on the rolls after your drizzle the butter on, then mix. 

More Sourdough Recipes for you:

• Overnight Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
• Sourdough Cranberry Walnut Bread
• Sourdough Pizza dough Recipe
• Sourdough Discard Pie Crust
• Flaky Sourdough Biscuits

 

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