Garlic Knots

Several years ago, I worked through the holiday season in an upscale, and very busy gift shop. Before Christmas, our employer catered a lunch for us from a nearby Italian restaurant. We enjoyed delicious lasagna, spaghetti, a beautiful salad, and the most wonderful garlic knots.

After lunch, and back on the sales floor, my co-workers and I were reeking of garlic.  What was the boss thinking?  If the shoppers noticed, however, it had no effect on the action at the cash registers, and we were happy workers for the rest of the day. 

After that, I learned that garlic knots are made from pizza dough. This year, at the close of our personal holiday, and after all the leftovers were gone, I planned a simple tomato and pasta dish for dinner. To make the meal more special, I made garlic knots, using my favorite pizza crust recipe.

Garlic Knots

1 (.25 oz.) package active dry yeast

1 tsp. honey

1 cup warm water

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups flour

3 Tbsp. olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley

In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and honey in warm water. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in the 2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt, and flour. Beat until smooth. Turn out onto a floured surface, knead a few times, then let the dough rest for about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Pat the dough out into an approximate 15x10 inch rectangle. Cut into 12 strips. Tie each strip into a knot and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.  Bake for 15 - 20 20 minutes, until golden.

While the knots are baking, mix together the 3 Tbsp. olive oil, minced garlic, Parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley.  When the rolls come out of the oven, immediately smooth on a generous amount of the garlic mixture. 

Don't forget the Tic Tacs.