⏱ Time
Prep: 20 minutes
Rise: 1–1½ hours
Bake: 15–18 minutes
🍞 Yield
About 12–14 garlic knots
🥣 Ingredients
Dough
¾ cup (180 g) sourdough discard (unfed is fine)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp sugar or honey
¾ tsp salt
¾ cup (180 ml) warm water (not hot)
2¼ tsp instant yeast (or 1 packet)
3–3½ cups all-purpose flour
Garlic Butter
4 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp olive oil
3–4 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning or dried parsley
Optional: grated Parmesan, pinch of chili flakes
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Make the Dough
In a large bowl, mix discard, warm water, yeast, sugar, olive oil, and salt.
Add flour gradually until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms.
Knead by hand (8–10 min) or mixer (5–6 min) until smooth and elastic.
2. First Rise
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled (about 1–1½ hours).
3. Shape the Knots
Punch down dough and divide into 12–14 pieces.
Roll each into a 6–8 inch rope.
Tie into a loose knot and tuck the ends under.
Place on a lined baking sheet.
4. Second Rise
Cover and rest for 20–30 minutes while oven preheats to 400°F (205°C).
5. Bake
Bake for 15–18 minutes, until lightly golden.
6. Garlic Butter Finish
Mix all garlic butter ingredients.
Brush generously over warm knots.
Sprinkle with Parmesan if using.
✨ Tips & Variations
Extra soft: Brush knots with plain butter right after baking before garlic butter.
Cheesy: Add shredded mozzarella inside the knots before shaping.
No yeast version: Skip yeast and let dough ferment 4–6 hours (texture will be more chewy).
Make ahead: Shape and refrigerate overnight; bake fresh the next day.
If you want, I can turn this into a quick discard-only version, a whole wheat option, or help you scale it for a crowd.