Soft Garlic Knots

I am a bread person. And a garlic person. Combine the two and it is heaven! These are really delicious and, as the title would indicate, very soft. They went great with our lasagna the other night and with our spaghetti a few weeks before that. :) I think they'd be good with all sorts of things. They may look hard since they're in a knot, but it's really easy. The recipe makes 10 "knots" (rolls) and I assembled the actual knots in just a couple minutes - no harder than any other roll/breadstick kind of thing. You do need to allow enough time for them to rise twice, so plan accordingly. They're topped with a glaze of butter, fresh garlic, and Italian seasoning and they are delicious!

Soft Garlic Knots

3 cups flour (or more)

1 T. sugar

2 tsp. instant yeast

1 1/4 tsp. salt

2 T. olive oil

1/4 c. milk

1 c. + 2 T. lukewarm water

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 T. melted butter

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning*

In the bowl of a mixer, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the olive oil, milk, and water. Mix until ingredients have formed a dough, adding more flour a little at a time if necessary. Knead on low speed until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 10-inch long rope (just rolling between your hands is fast and easy) and tie into a basic knot. Take the underneath end and bring it over the top and tuck it in the center. Take the end on the top and tuck it underneath into the center. Transfer rolls to a baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes, until puffy.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine garlic, butter and Italian seasoning and brush over the tops of the rolls. Bake until set and slightly browned, about 15-18 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

*I know most people have Italian seasoning, but I didn't, so I just sprinkled some dried basil, oregano, and parsley over the top. It probably totaled more than 1/2 tsp., which is why mine may look more green than yours, but it tasted great!

Source: Annie's Eats