Thought it was about time to tackle another baking project with yeast, after making those soft pretzels for the Superbowl back in February. I feel like I’m really getting the hang of the whole process, although I still need to start with a clean kitchen and a deep breath before beginning.

The more I bake with yeast, the more I realize that it’s really about the timing more than anything else. I’m a notorious late-night baker – my condo neighbours must wonder why I have my electric mixer on blast past 10pm – but you can’t really begin bread projects that late. (Note: Unless you get them to rise overnight in the fridge…but I haven’t really figured that out yet).

 

So I started these on a weeknight when I got home from work, and left them to rise while I went to the gym. I shaped the knots and while they were resting, got that carrot soup going, and everything was ready at generally the same time. The only change I would make to the recipe is to just brush the butter/garlic mixture over top of the knots after they come out of the oven, and use just butter instead of a butter/oil blend.  I feel like I’m on the verge of recreating Jack Astor’s Garlic Pan Bread…just so you know where this is heading!

Whole Wheat Garlic Knots

Source: Joy the Baker

Ingredients

1 cup warm water (110-115)

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

2 tsp sugar

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tbsp olive oil

5 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane

1/4 cup chopped parsley

4 tbsp butter, melted (original recipe uses 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp oil, but I would go straight butter at it next time)

salt, to taste

Directions

1. In a liquid measuring cup, measure the warm water, and add the yeast and sugar. Give it a gentle stir, and set aside for 5 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flours and salt. Add the yeast mixture and oil, and stir with a fork. Dump dough onto a lightly floured counter, and knead for 5 minutes until nice and smooth. Place in a large, clean, oiled bowl, and turn the dough to coat it in the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel and place it in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.
3. Roll out dough on a lightly floured counter. Use a pizza cutter to slice dough into long strips. Tie a knot with each strip, and then tuck the ends underneath. You can experiment, none of mine looked the same. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes, and preheat oven to 400 in the meantime.
4. Bake knots for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.
5. Mix together the garlic, parsley and melted butter (and salt if you need it). Brush over top of the knots when they come out of the oven.