Soft Garlic Knots

Let me just start by saying that these are worth every second of your precious time.  The combination of yeast and garlic in your oven cannot be beat, especially on a chilly Fall day.  I wish I could capture the smell of fresh baked rolls in a candle.  Aside from my whole apartment smelling amazing, these taste amazing and are soooo soft; that's my favorite part about them.

These would be perfect on your Thanksgiving menu and you can make them ahead of time.  Things with yeast freeze well; just wait for the rolls to cool completely before wrapping them up and putting them in the freezer.  The day you want to serve them, defrost them and then wrap them in foil and reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until warm.  








Soft Garlic Knots
Source: Annie's Eats (step by step pictures here)
Yields 10 rolls


Ingredients
For the dough:
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup milk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water


For the glaze:
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning


Directions
To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the dry ingredients.  Add the olive oil, milk and water.  Mix until ingredients have formed a dough.  Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.  Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat, and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to rise for 1 hour, or until double in bulk.  Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a 10-inch long rope and tie into a knot.  Take the end lying underneath the knot and bring it over the top, tucking it into the center.  Take the end lying over the knot and tuck it underneath into the center.  Transfer shaped rolls to a baking stone, or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 45 minutes, until puffy.  To make the glaze, finely mince the garlic or press it through a garlic press.  Mix with the melted butter and Italian seasoning.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brush the glaze onto the shaped rolls.  Bake until set and lightly browned, about 15-18 minutes.  Let cool slightly before serving.