Learn how to make soft, homemade sourdough garlic knots with tangy active sourdough starter and sweet roasted garlic. Topped with Pecorino cheese and fresh parsley, it’s a fresh new take on the classic garlic knot recipe.
Garlic knots are soft, hand-formed rolls typically made with leftover pizza dough. Tossed with melted butter, raw chopped garlic, parsley and Parmesan cheese, garlic knots are quite addictive thanks to their buttery, chewy texture. But let’s face it: the flavor is notoriously strong from the raw garlic (and your breath will annihilate anything in its path if you consume too many!).
I have a solution. My unique, sourdough garlic knot recipe adapted from my bestselling book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple, is made with sweet roasted garlic instead of raw. The caramelized, oven-roasted garlic cloves are folded into the dough with fresh thyme for a tasty twist. Sourdough starter naturally leavens the dough while adding its signature texture and tangy sourdough taste.
What To Expect
In this post, you’ll learn how to make fresh, homemade sourdough garlic knots with step-by-step instructions and make-ahead tips. Need a sourdough starter? Make one from scratch here (don’t forget to read my sourdough starter feeding tips & tricks and troubleshooting guides for ongoing care). For timing, because timing is everything with sourdough, review my sample baking schedule at the end of this post.
Why This Recipe Works
- A combination of all purpose flour and bread flour is used to create a light and chewy dough.
- The dough is chilled overnight to deepen the flavor and to make shaping easier.
- The garlic can also be roasted ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.
Sourdough Garlic Knots Ingredients: You Will Need
- 1 head of fresh garlic
- Olive oil
- Active sourdough starter
- Water
- All purpose flour
- Bread flour
- Fine sea salt
- Fresh thyme
- Unsalted butter
- Fresh parsley
- Ground Pecorino cheese
How To Make Sourdough Garlic Knots {Step-By-Step Recipe}
- Roast The Garlic: Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Halve 1 full head of garlic. Wrap in foil and drizzle with olive oil to coat. Roast on a baking sheet for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The garlic should be soft and caramelized when ready.
- Make The Dough (while the garlic is roasting): In a medium bowl, mix the sourdough starter and water together with a fork. Add the flours, salt and thyme leaves. Mix to form a rough, shaggy dough. Cover and rest until the garlic has finished roasting.
- Add The Garlic: When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves into the bowl of dough. Gently knead the dough, lifting and folding the dough over the cloves to incorporate. Stop when the dough starts to tighten and a rough ball forms.
- Bulk Rise: Cover the bowl with lightly oiled plastic wrap (or transfer to a high-sided dough tub with lid). Let rise at room temperature, about 70 F (21 C) until double in size. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill overnight.
- Shape The Dough Into Knots: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the cold dough onto a well floured surface; let rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 10 strips, about 60 g (2 oz) each. Grab the ends of each strip, gently stretch outwards and then tie into a knot (it’s like tying a shoe lace, minus the bow). Place onto your baking sheet and shape the rest of the dough. When finished, lightly brush the knots with olive oil.
- Second Rise: Cover the dough with an inverted rimmed baking sheet. Rest at room temperature until noticeable puffy, about 1 hour or more. Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C) towards the end of the second rise.
- Bake: Place the knots of the center rack and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Meanwhile, melt the butter. Chop the parsley and grab the Parmesan cheese.
- To Serve: Add the garlic knots to a large bowl. Drizzle some of the melted butter over the top, and sprinkle with parsley and Pecorino cheese to taste. Toss well to coat. Arrange the garlic knots on a serving platter or devour straight from the bowl. Enjoy warm!
How To Store Sourdough Garlic Knots
You don’t. Eat them right away! Sourdough garlic knots are best enjoyed WARM straight from the oven. In the event of any leftovers, wrap tightly in foil and store in the fridge. Reheat (directly in the foil) @ 250 F until warmed through. They won’t be as fresh, but still delicious.
Sample Baking Schedule
There are a few ways to go about this. I typically chill the bulk dough overnight to deepen the flavor and to make shaping easier and less sticky. You’ll need to plan ahead. However, if you want to do a same day bake, you can- I’ve included a prompt in the notes below.
- In the morning (AM): Roast the garlic. Make the dough. Bulk rise during the day at room temperature. Once doubled in size, chill overnight. Note: if you prefer, skip the overnight chill and jump to the next step for a same day bake.
- The next day (this can be in the morning, afternoon or evening- whenever you are ready to bake): Shape the dough into knots. Do the second rise. Bake. Serve immediately.
More Sourdough Recipes To Try:
- Sourdough Bread: a Beginner’s Guide
- Sourdough Focaccia
- Crispy Sourdough Pizza (No Steel or Stone!)
- Easy Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Sourdough Garlic Knots With Roasted Garlic And Pecorino Cheese
- Yield: 10 garlic knots
- Category: Sourdough Bread Recipes
- Method: Oven-Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This recipe for soft, homemade garlic knots is made with tangy active sourdough starter and sweet roasted garlic. Topped with Pecorino cheese and fresh parsley, it’s a fresh new take on the classic garlic knot recipe.
Notes & Tips
- This recipe does not include raw garlic. Roasted garlic only. If you’d like to add raw garlic for extra flavor, finely chop 1-3 cloves and incorporate them during Step #8 below.
Ingredients
Roasted Garlic
- 1 head of fresh garlic
- 15 g (1 tbsp) olive oil, plus more for brushing
Dough
- 50 g (1/4 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter
- 240 g (1 cup) warm water
- 120 g (1 cup) all purpose flour
- 180 g (1 1/2 cups) bread flour
- 5 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt
- 6 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
Herb & Cheese Topping
- 28 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 7 g (2 tbsp) chopped parsley
- Ground Pecorino cheese, to taste
Instructions
- Roast The Garlic: Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Lay the garlic on its side, and slice off the top third the reveal the inside cloves. Wrap both pieces in foil, and drizzle the cloves with olive oil to coat. Roast on a baking sheet for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The garlic should be soft and caramelized when ready.
- Make The Dough (while the garlic is roasting): In a medium bowl, whisk the sourdough starter and water together with a fork. Add the flours, salt and thyme leaves. Mix with your hands to form a rough, shaggy dough. Cover and rest until the garlic has finished roasting.
- Add The Garlic: When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves into the bowl of dough. Gently knead the dough, lifting and folding the dough over the cloves to incorporate. Stop when the dough starts to tighten and a rough ball forms.
- Bulk Rise: Cover the bowl with lightly oiled plastic wrap (or transfer to a high-sided dough tub with lid). Let rise at room temperature, about 70 F (21 C) until double in size. Chill overnight in the fridge. Alternatively, jump to the next step for a same-day bake.
- Shape: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the cold dough onto a well floured surface; let rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 10 strips, about 60 g (2 oz) each. Grab the ends of each strip, and gently stretch to form a knot (it’s like tying a shoe lace, minus the bow). Place onto your baking sheet and shape the rest of the dough. When finished, lightly brush the knots with olive oil.
- Second Rise: Cover the dough with an inverted rimmed baking sheet. Rest at room temperature until noticeably puffy, about 1 hour or more, depending on temperature. Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C) towards the end of the second rise.
- Bake: Place the knots of the center rack and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan or microwave. Chop the parsley and grab the Parmesan cheese.
- Assemble: When the garlic knots have finished baking, add them to a large bowl. Drizzle some of the melted butter over the top, and sprinkle with parsley and a generous handful of cheese to taste. Toss well to coat.
- To Serve: Arrange the garlic knots on a serving platter or devour straight from the bowl. Enjoy warm!
Comments
Susan Sentman says
I haven’t made this yet, but planning to very soon. I noticed the recipe calls for Pecorino cheese, or Pecorino Romano cheese. In the recipe step #7, you call it Parmesan cheese. Since I don’t care much for Pecorino, can I just use Parmesan Reggiano?
Ann Clay says
Looks amazing Can I freeze them? Thanks