Sourdough Garlic Knots
These sourdough garlic knots are soft and fluffy inside, with a crisp golden top brushed in garlicky herb butter. They’re a pull-apart bread, perfect alongside a roast, soup, pasta night, or a Christmas spread. The slightly enriched dough is easy to work with and the knots themselves are simpler to shape than they look.
About these garlic knots
This recipe is built on the same lightly enriched sourdough dough I use for my sourdough hamburger buns, but given a different shape and finished with a generous garlic butter glaze. The dough has just enough butter, milk, and sugar to keep it soft and tender, but it’s not as rich as a brioche, so the bread itself stays light and bready.
The garlic butter goes on twice. Once before baking, which lets it sink into the dough and crisp the top, and once straight out of the oven, which gives you that glossy, soaked-in finish with chunks of garlic and parsley clinging to every knot. The first brush is the one that makes the top deeply golden and the second is the one that makes them taste like garlic knots.
I’ve cut down the butter topping back a touch from what I used to use. The original called for 100g, which is a lot for 12 knots, so a bit of it ended up pooled in the tray. At 80g you still get all the character and the soaked-in finish, just with less butter going to waste.
Key ingredients
- High-grade flour or bread flour: With a protein level of at least 11%, this gives the knots the structure to hold their shape and stay light and fluffy.
- Milk and butter: The small amounts of milk and softened butter worked into the dough are what make these knots tender and slightly enriched.
- Granulated sugar: Just a little to help balance the dough.
- Active sourdough starter: As always, the starter needs to be active and bubbly when it goes in.
- Fresh garlic: Four to five cloves is the right amount for a pronounced garlic flavour without it being overwhelming.
- Fresh herbs: Parsley is my usual choice, but thyme, chives, or coriander all work well. Use a herb that you genuinely like.
- Flaky salt: For finishing.
Baker’s schedule
This recipe has two options.
- Option 1 (overnight ferment, recommended): Feed the starter the morning of day 1. Mix the dough in the afternoon, bulk ferment, then cold proof overnight. Shape, proof, and bake the next morning. The cold ferment deepens the flavour.
- Option 2 (same day): Feed the starter the night before. Mix and bulk the dough in the morning, shape and proof in the afternoon, and bake in the early evening. Faster, but less flavour development.
Both work well. Watch the dough rather than the clock, since fermentation times shift with kitchen temperature.
Method
- Start by feeding the starter and leaving it to peak. When it’s ready, mix the dough by combining the flour, sugar, salt, water, milk, and starter into a shaggy dough. You can do this by hand or in a stand mixer with a dough hook, whichever you prefer.
- Knead for a few minutes to build strength, then work in the softened butter a few cubes at a time.
- Keep kneading for another 6 to 8 minutes until smooth.
- Next, leave the dough to bulk ferment in a warm spot until it’s risen by around 40%, with visible bubbles and a softer feel. For Option 1, transfer to the fridge overnight after this; for Option 2, go straight to shaping.
Shaping
- Turn the dough out, divide into 12 equal pieces, and roll each piece into a 30cm rope. Shape into a knot by forming a U, crossing the ends.
- Tuck each piece through the loop.
- Place into a lined 9 x 13 inch baking dish for pull-apart knots, or onto a baking tray with space between if you’d rather they bake separately.
- Cover and proof in a warm spot until doubled, around 3 to 4 hours. Brush the knots generously with garlic butter before baking.
- Brush the baked rolls with the remaining butter and finish with chopped parsley and flaky salt.
Tips
- Don’t rush the bulk ferment. Watch for the dough to rise by 40 to 50% with visible bubbles and a softer, lighter feel. A cool kitchen can take much longer than the 3 to 4 hours in the recipe, sometimes 5 or 6.
- Give the final proof the time it needs. The rolls should almosy double in size and look puffy and pillowy. If you press a knot gently with your finger, the dent should spring back slowly rather than spring straight back.
- A warm spot really helps. A turned-off cold oven with a cup of just-boiled water inside makes a great proofing chamber, especially in cooler weather. Replace the water as it cools to keep the warmth and humidity going.
- Don’t shape too tight. Knots that are rolled and twisted really tight will fight more against rising. A loose knot will puff out nicely as it proofs and bakes.
Related recipes
You might also like:
- Sourdough hamburger buns
- Rosemary sourdough bread
- Sourdough focaccia
- Sourdough Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
- Soft sourdough dinner rolls
Sourdough Garlic Knots
Soft and fluffy sourdough garlic knots brushed twice in garlicky herb butter. The perfect pull-apart bread for any meal.
Ingredients
Levain/Starter
- 20 g sourdough starter
- 40 g bread flour
- 40 g water
Dough
- 450 g bread flour at least 11% protein
- 20 g granulated sugar
- 8 g salt
- 160 g water
- 130 g milk
- all the above levain Around 100g active sourdough starter
- 40 g butter softened
Garlic butter topping
- 80 g butter
- 4 cloves garlic finely grated or crushed
- 2 to 3 tbsp parsley fresh, finely chopped
- Flaky salt for finishing
Instructions
- Mix the starter ingredients in a clean jar. Leave to peak in a warm spot, around 6 hours, until at least doubled.
- Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the water, milk, and active starter and mix into a shaggy dough.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes to bring it together.
- Add the softened butter a few small cubes at a time, kneading them in. Continue kneading for 6 to 8 minutes until smooth.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased large bowl, cover, and leave to bulk ferment in a warm spot (around 25°C / 77°F) for 3 to 4 hours, until risen by around 30-40%.
- For an overnight ferment, cover tightly and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.
- Line a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with baking paper. Turn the dough out and divide into 12 equal pieces (around 75 to 80g each).
- Roll each piece into a 40cm rope on a lightly floured surface, dusting with more flour if it sticks. Shape into a U, cross the ends over, and tuck each end through the loop to form a knot. Place in the baking dish.
- Cover and proof in a warm spot until almost doubled and noticeably puffy with a soft jiggle when nudged, around 3 to 4 hours.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F
- Melt the butter with the garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer for 1 minute, then cool for 5 minutes.
- Brush the proofed knots with around 30g (about a third) of the garlic butter, holding back the pieces of garlic. Bake at 190°C / 375°F for around 25 minutes, until golden.
- As soon as the knots come out, brush with the remaining 50g of garlic butter, including the garlic pieces. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and flaky salt. Serve warm.
Notes
Make-ahead: The cold ferment overnight gives the best flavour, but you can also bake same-day if needed.
Watch the dough, not the clock. Fermentation will change depending on the temperature.
Herbs: Parsley is classic, but thyme, chives, or coriander all work.
By hand or stand mixer: Both work. In a stand mixer, knead with the dough hook for 6-8 minutes after adding the butter. By hand, knead on the bench for the same time.
Storage: Best on the day. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, reheating in a low oven or microwave to soften.
Nutrition
Serving: 1rollCalories: 157kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 5gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 275mgPotassium: 78mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 90IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
will these knots do well on their own, not put together in a 9 x 13 cookie sheet. I just want them to be individual garlic knots.
Hey Marie, yup you can bake them as individual knots 🙂
Not to be dramatic, but these were the best garlic knots I’ve ever had in my life (I’m 44) 🤭
Yay this is so awesome to hear!! Thank you!
This is an incredibly easy recipe with an EXTREMELY fabulous result! Loved the knots, they came out so fluffy and garlicky. I did an overnight ferment which conveniently fit my schedule and that elevated the flavor even more. Just perfect when having friends over!
Will be making them many more times over!
Thank you so much for your fantastic recipe! I am always looking to other sites for information and inspiration!
Have an awesome sunny day!
Rick Smith