Easy homemade Garlic Knots recipe with butter garlic topping. They’re soft, chewy, and a great side to pizza, pasta, and salad.

Looking for more bread and roll recipes? Check out my Cheesy Breadsticks, Beer Bread, and Buttermilk Cornbread!

Why I love this recipe:

  • Unique – They just feel a little more special than classic garlic bread or breadsticks, and my kids always request them.
  • Easy – They may look intimidating, but they are actually so simple to make.
  • Garlic Sauce brushed on top is delicious, and if you serve them with a bowl of marinara sauce, they’re out of this world good!

How to make Garlic Knots:

Proof Yeast: Combine warm water, yeast, and ¼ tsp sugar and stir–allow to rest for 5-10 minutes until foamy. 

Yeast proofing in a small bowl.

Make Dough: Pour yeast mixture into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add remaining ¼ cup sugar, warm milk, butter, egg and salt. Blend mixture until combined. Add the flour slowly, mixing until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 – 6 minutes. You may not use all of the flour called for. The dough should be soft, very slightly sticky when touched with a clean finger, and pulling away from the sides of the mixer. 

Bread dough for garlic knots mixed in a stand mixer.

Allow Dough to Rise: Grease a large bowl with cooking spray or a tiny bit of oil. Place the dough in the bottom of the bowl and turn it over once to coat all sides in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.

Risen bread dough in a bowl, punched down once, leaving an imprint.

Shape Dough: Gently punch the dough down. Add a little flour to your countertop or work surface. Grab a ball of dough, about the size of a golf ball, and roll it out into a long rope (about ½ inch thick and around 9 inches long). Tie the rope into a knot and place it on prepared baking sheet.

Hands forming a rope of bread dough into a knot.

Second Rise: Cover garlic knots loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise again in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.

Garlic knot dough rising on a pan for the second rise.

Bake: Preheat oven to 400° F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 min. or until lightly golden on top.

Baked bread knot being coated in garlic butter sauce.

Brush with Garlic Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl while the knots are baking. After removing knots from oven, brush them lightly with garlic sauce while they are still warm.

Serve with:

Storage and Freezing Instructions:

Store in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for 2-3 days.

To Freeze After Baked: Allow homemade garlic knots to cool completely and place in a freezer safe bag.  Store for up to 2 months.  To thaw, remove garlic knots from the freezer and allow to thaw at room temperature, or stick them in the microwave for a few seconds.

To Freeze the Dough: Make the dough and shape the knots. Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and flash freeze (place them in the freezer for 1-2 hours).  Move the frozen dough knots from the baking sheet into a freezer safe ziplock bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.  To bake, remove frozen rolls and line them on a greased baking sheet.  Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow them to thaw and rise on the countertop for about 2 hours. Uncover and bake at 400º F for 9-12 minutes.

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Recipe

Prep 2 hours
Cook 15 minutes
Total 2 hours 15 minutes
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Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup very warm water (79g)
  • 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup +¼ teaspoon granulated sugar (51g)
  • 1 1/3 cup milk (332g), warmed
  • 5 tablespoons butter (76g), softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4-4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (500g)

Garlic Topping

Instructions
 

  • Combine warm water, yeast, and ¼ tsp sugar and stir–allow to rest for 5-10 minutes until foamy. 
  • Pour yeast mixture into the bowl of an electric stand mixer (or into a large bowl if you plan on kneading by hand). Add remaining ¼ cup sugar, warm milk, butter, egg and salt. Blend mixture until combined. 
  • While mixing on low speed, slowly add the flour, mixing until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 – 6 minutes. You may not use all of the flour called for!
  • The dough should be soft, very slightly sticky when touched with a clean finger. It should be pulling away from the sides of the mixer. 
  • Grease a large bowl with cooking spray or a tiny bit of oil. Place the dough in the bottom of the bowl and turn it over once to coat all sides in oil (this helps keep it from drying out.) 
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.
  • Gently punch the dough down. Add a little flour to your countertop or work surface (or spray it lightly with cooking spray).
  • Grab a ball of dough, about the size of a golf ball, and roll it out into a long rope (about ½ inch thick and around 9 inches long). Tie the rope into a knot and place it on prepared baking sheet.
  • Cover garlic knots loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise again in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 400° F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
  • Bake for 10-12 min. or until lightly golden on top.
  • While they're baking, make the garlic sauce by combining all ingredients in a small bowl.
  • After removing knots from oven, while still warm, brush them lightly with garlic sauce.

Notes

Cheesy Garlic Knots: add a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese on top of the knots before baking.
Storing Instructions: Keep in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for 2-3 days.
To Freeze After Baked: Allow garlic knots to cool completely and place in a freezer safe bag.  Store for up to 2 months.  To thaw, remove garlic knots from the freezer and allow to thaw at room temperature, or stick them in the microwave for a few seconds.
To Freeze the Dough: Make the dough and shape the rolls. Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and flash freeze (place them in the freezer for 1-2 hours).  Move the rolls from the baking sheet into a freezer safe ziplock bag or container and freezer for up to 3 months.  To bake, remove frozen rolls and line them on a greased baking sheet.  Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow them to thaw and rise on the countertop for about 2 hours. Bake at 400º F for 9-12 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 125kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 176mgPotassium: 45mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 106IUCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg

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I originally shared this recipe April 2013. Updated April 2019 and March 2022.

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Dotty
26 days ago

Please revise metric measurements. I wasted all ingredients. Should have double checked before I made it.

Admin
4 days ago
Reply to  Dotty

I’m so sorry the metric measurements was off. I have redone them all to ensure they are accurate. We hope you try this recipe again!

Moonwatcher101
3 months ago

5 stars
I cannot even begin to express how good these garlic knots turned out! I followed the recipe for the dough, and it came out PERFECT!!!! I would definitely recommend this recipe! As for the garlic butter glaze, instead of garlic powder, I decided to use actual garlic cloves. I slightly cooked the minced garlic before adding it into the butter, along with a dash of oregano. Thanks for sharing! 😀

Pam Hayhurst
6 months ago

I made these for a pot luck church supper and they came out great. There wasn’t even one left. They were fun to do.

HappyBaker
7 months ago

5 stars
YUM. However, now that I’m making it again, I’m wondering if water can be swapped in instead of milk?

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