Recipe: Renate Boronowsky’s Garlic Knots

These quick and easy dinner rolls make for a smooth introduction to the world of yeasted doughs. They’re easily customizable and a great way to use up fresh herbs (from your garden or the back of your fridge). They are delicious as a side to soups and stews, but they also make delicious buns for sandwiches or burgers! They’re best consumed warm, fresh out of the oven; yet they will keep well for a day or two in an airtight container at room temperature. Though be warned, leftovers are rare!

Total Time: 2.5-4.5 hours

Makes: 8 knots or dinner rolls

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup potato flour*
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp fresh herbs (use whatever is in season or in your fridge!)
3 Tbsp melted butter or plant-based butter*
1- 1 ¼ cup lukewarm whole milk or high-fat plant-based milk*
3 cloves roasted garlic, mashed*
Optional extra mashed garlic and butter/ plant-based substitute for finishing.

Mix 1 cup of the warm milk with the tbsp of sugar and 2tsp of dry yeast. Let sit 5 min or so until active (so it looks a little foamy!)

Sift or whisk together the all-purpose flour, the potato flour, and the salt in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer.

Turn mixer on low and slowly pour in the foamy milk/yeast mixture (or mix in slowly by hand). Add the melted butter, herbs, and mashed garlic.

Increase speed to low-medium your mixer (usually 2 or 3 if you have a kitchen aid) and knead for 10 minutes until the dough smooth, relatively elastic, and separating from the sides of the bowl. Add the extra warm milk a tablespoon or so at a time only if needed. You don’t want the dough too wet, but it should come together.

Transfer to a lightly greased bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about an hour, maybe more if temps are low).

Once risen, punch down and shape as you please! For knots: roll it out on a lightly greased surface into a large rectangle, cut into 8 long strips, shape into knots, and tuck in the ends. Or you can simply shape into round rolls.

Let the rolls rest until poofy (generally at least 45 min - 1hr more) on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or compostable parchment paper. Towards the end of the proofing time, heat your oven to 350F (177C).

Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on your oven. If your oven has hot spots or bakes hotter on one side, rotate about halfway through the baking time.

Once out of the oven, brush the rolls with optional melted “butter” and garlic and serve warm!

*If you can’t find potato flour, you can sub in all-purpose! Potato flour just gives them a softer texture

*I used Miyoko’s vegan butter, but I’m sure earth balance or other brands would likely work too. You can also use 2 - 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast in place of the plant-based butter.

*I used homemade cashew milk. Almond, cashew, hemp, or soy would most likely work too.

*You can roast the garlic in the oven, or just take a few cloves and brown them on a dry skillet for a few minutes until they have a few black spots. Let them cool before adding them in though so they don’t heat up your dough too much.