Equipment
Ingredients
Dough Base
- 450 g premade pizza dough, room temperature
Slow-Cooked Garlic Butter
- 55 g unsalted butter
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 5 garlic, minced
- 3 g kosher salt
Finishing & Serving
- 15 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 5 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 120 ml marinara sauce, warmed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 162 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 18 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 373 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 11 mg
- Potassium
- 54 mg
- Calcium
- 32 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 3 mg
- Phosphorus
- 15 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 39 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 10 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Niacin
- 0.4 mg
- Folate
- 2 mcg
- Water
- 11 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
In a small saucepan, combine the unsalted butter, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, and kosher salt. Place over the lowest possible heat setting and let simmer gently to infuse the fats without browning the garlic.
Divide the room temperature pizza dough into 12 equal portions, approximately 35 to 40 grams each.
Roll each piece of dough into a 15-centimeter rope. Tie each rope into a simple knot, gently tucking the loose ends underneath. Place the finished knots onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly.
Bake the knots in the preheated 200°C/400°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until puffed, firm, and deep golden brown on the outside.
Immediately transfer the hot baked knots to a large mixing bowl. Pour the warm slow-cooked garlic butter over the top and toss vigorously to ensure every crevice is coated.
Sprinkle the finely grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley over the buttered knots. Toss once more until the herbs and cheese cling to the dough.
Serve the knots immediately while hot, alongside a small bowl of warmed marinara sauce for dipping.
Chef's Notes
- Using a combination of butter and olive oil elevates the dipping sauce. The olive oil prevents the butter solids from burning as quickly and lends a more authentic Italian-American pizzeria flavor.
- If your kitchen is particularly warm, the unshaped pieces of dough may dry out or overproof while you work. Keep them covered lightly with a damp towel to prevent a skin from forming.
- For extra punch and complexity, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or dried oregano to the butter mixture during the slow infusion process.
- Tossing the knots in a large mixing bowl rather than brushing them on the baking sheet ensures the rich garlic butter permeates every hidden fold of the knotted dough.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze fully baked and buttered. Thaw at room temperature before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175°C/350°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes until warmed through and crisp on the outside.
Troubleshooting
Dough snaps back and is difficult to roll into ropes
Cause: The dough is too cold, causing the gluten network to be overly tight
Fix: Cover the dough pieces with a damp kitchen towel, let rest for 15 minutes to relax the gluten, and try again
Prevention: Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour before attempting to shape
Garlic tastes intensely bitter
Cause: The garlic was browned or burned during the butter infusion process
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Maintain the lowest possible heat setting and remove the pan from the burner if the butter starts to bubble actively
Cultural Context
Garlic knots are an iconic Italian-American creation, originally invented in New York City pizzerias in the 1940s as a clever and frugal way to utilize leftover pizza dough scraps. Baked to golden perfection and drenched in garlic butter, they evolved from a byproduct into a beloved appetizer staple. Today, they remain a nostalgic and irresistible preamble to pizza night.
