Treat yourself to the irresistible aroma of Chef Tom's freshly-baked Garlic Knots, hot from your wood-fired oven! Enjoy irresistibly cheesy, tender knots that will leave your taste buds longing for more.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Letting the yeast sit in warm water for 5 minutes before adding flour confirms it's active and gives it a head start, rather than mixing everything together at once and hoping the yeast wakes up
- Cooking the garlic gently in butter and oil without browning it preserves a milder, more rounded garlic flavor than a hard sear would, which can turn garlic bitter
- Tying the dough into knots instead of leaving it as plain rolls creates more surface area and texture for the garlic butter to cling to once tossed
- Building the wood fire off to the side of the deck, rather than directly under the food, keeps a steady 600°F ambient heat without the knots baking directly over open flame
Garlic Knots
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian
Servings
18
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Calories
215
Chef Tom fires up the Clementi Clementino Wood Fired Oven for homemade cheesy, tender Garlic Knots!
Ingredients
- 325g (1 cup 7 tbsp) warm water (110ºF)
-
5g (1 1/2 tsp) Caputo Dry Yeast
-
500g (3 1/4 cup) Antimo Caputo “00” Pizza Flour
-
10g (1 tbsp) Jacobsen Kosher Sea Salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
-
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
-
1 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning
- 4 oz powdered parmesan cheese
-
Urban Slicer Pizza Mojo White Seasoning
For the dough:
For the garlic butter:
For topping:
Directions
To make the dough:
- Pour the warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the water. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the flour, then the salt. With the mixer fitted with the hook attachment, mix on medium-low (2nd gear on the KitchenAid) until a ball is formed, about 1 minute. Once all ingredients are incorporated and a ball is formed mix 8 minutes.
- Transfer to an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size.
- Turn out onto a floured surface and divide into 18 1.5 oz portions. Roll into 8” long rope. Tie in a knot. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rest 30 minutes at room temp.
- Using small splits of pecan wood, build a log cabin style fire in the center of the deck of the Clementi Clementino Wood Fired Oven. When the wood has broken down into coals slide the fire to the side of the deck using the fire grate. Continue feeding the fire small splits of wood to maintain a 600ºF reading on the thermometer at the opposite end of the oven (not fire side).
To make garlic butter:
Combine all ingredients in an 8” skillet. Heat gently to cook but not brown the garlic. Remove from heat.
Bake knots, turning as needed, until browned and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.
Toss the knots in the garlic butter. Top with parmesan and pizza mojo white.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why let the yeast sit in warm water for 5 minutes before adding the flour?
This confirms the yeast is active and gives it a head start blooming before it needs to work through the full dough. Adding everything at once skips that check and risks a slower or weaker rise.
Why cook the garlic gently instead of browning it?
Heating the butter, oil, and garlic paste just enough to warm through without browning keeps the garlic's flavor milder and more rounded. Browned garlic can turn bitter and would overpower the finished knots.
Why tie the dough into knots instead of shaping it into simple rolls?
Knots create more folds and surface area than a smooth roll would, giving the garlic butter more texture to cling to once the knots are tossed in it after baking.
Why build the fire to the side of the oven deck instead of directly underneath the knots?
Sliding the coals to one side after the initial burn lets the oven hold a steady 600°F ambient temperature at the opposite end, baking the knots with radiant heat rather than direct flame that could scorch them.
How do I know when the knots are actually done baking?
Look for them to be browned on the outside and cooked through in the center, about 3-5 minutes at 600°F turn them as needed so they color evenly on all sides rather than just the side facing the fire.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
4 out of 5 a home oven set as hot as it will go (typically 500-550°F) with a pizza stone can bake these well; you'll lose a bit of the wood-fired char, but the dough and garlic butter technique translate directly.
Recipe Highlights
Bloomed yeast: Confirms activity and gives the dough a head start rising.
Gently cooked garlic: Preserves a milder flavor than browning would.
Knotted shaping: Creates more surface area for the butter to coat.
Side-built fire: Maintains steady radiant heat instead of direct flame exposure.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 2.33 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 215
- Carbs
- 22 grams
- Protein
- 4 grams
- Fat
- 12 grams
- Sodium
- 327 milligrams
