Small Batch Cheesy Garlic Knots

These are the perfect buttery, cheesy and garlicky addition to any meal of pizza, salad or soup, and the hardest part about making them is figuring out what episode of Parks and Recreation to watch while you wait for the dough to rise!

Makes 8 garlic knots

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

1/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

1 egg yolk (reserve the white for brushing over the top of the knots)

For the filling:

1/4 cup grated parmesan or cheese of choice

3 cloves of pressed or minced garlic (1 Tablespoon)

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of black pepper

1 pinch of garlic powder

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and in a small bowl, combine the flour and salt. Then add the honey to the milk and microwave for 20 seconds. Stir the honey and milk mixture to combine and then sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let the yeast mixture sit about 5 minutes until it's a little foamy.

Step 2: Add the egg yolk to the yeast mixture and then add that to the flour mixture and knead or use a dough hook on an electric mixer for about 4 minutes, until the dough forms a ball, is pliable and a little sticky. Then place the dough into a bowl that's been greased with about 2 teaspoons of oil or butter so the dough won't stick as it rises. Let the dough rise in a slightly warm place ( I put mine on top of my pre-heating oven) until it has doubled in size.

Step 3: To make the filling, combine the melted and cooled butter with the cheese, garlic and spices, and you can add whatever other flavors you like!

Step 4: When the dough has doubled in size, take it out of the bowl and flatten it into a disc that is about 1/2 inch thick, then spread the filling on to the dough disc, leaving a 1/4 inch border of dough. Roll the dough tightly into a log and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Then stretch these pieces and twist to form a kind of bowtie shape.

Step 5: Place the bowties on a parchment lined baking sheet and let them sit in that same warm place for another 15 minutes so they can get a quick second proof. Then brush on the reserved egg white on top of each bowtie/twist/knot, sprinkle with flaky salt and place them in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Enjoy!

Optional addition: For extra garlic-y flavor, brush your baked garlic knots with a mixture of 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.

(Picture included in the pasta recipe)