Garlic Knots Two Ways

The problem with making Jim Lahey's No-Knead Pizza Dough is figuring out what to do with the remaining dough.  We used one ball of dough to make our White Pizza with Ramps, but we had 2 more balls of dough left in the fridge.  I knew right away that I wanted to make a batch of garlic knots and I was thinking about making a calzone with the other dough, but we couldn't decide what kind of garlic knots to make so we decided to make two batches of garlic knots and save the calzone for later.  The Emmentaler and Caraway Garlic Knots were inspired by the cheesy garlic knots that John Fraser's temporary restaurant What Happens When.  We were both obsessed with the garlic knots he served the two times that we ate dinner there.  The Gouda and Cumin Garlic Knots were inspired by a cumin-flavored gouda cheese that was part of the cheese platter at Vandaag.  Alex suggested the second flavor combination and preferred that flavor combination, but I think that his preference is mostly due to the fact that he is not a huge fan of caraway seeds.  I really liked them both and I keep trying to pick a favorite, but I can't.   That's not a bad thing.  The garlic knots had a nice crispy exterior and a really fluffy, moist interior.  They were so good that we had garlic knots for dinner last night and then I had another few for breakfast this morning.  They are definitely best fresh out of the oven, but they aren't bad the next day!

Recipes after the jump!

Emmentaler and Caraway Garlic Knots

INGREDIENTS

1 lb pizza dough, at room temperature (we used some of Jim Lahey's No-Knead Pizza Dough)

1 1/2 tbsp Maldon sea salt (or other flaky salt)

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp caraway seeds

1 cup Emmentaler, coarsely grated

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp evoo

1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

 

In a small bowl, combine the Maldon salt with the pepper and caraway seeds.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. On a work surface that has been lightly dusted with flour, roll the dough into a large log and cut into 10 equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a 3-inch log and lightly sprinkle with the caraway mixture and some of the cheese. Roll each piece out into a thin log about 6 inches long and loosely tie into a knot.

Place the knots on the prepared baking sheets. Lightly spray the tops with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with additional cheese.

Bake the knots, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, warm the butter with the garlic over low heat until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Remove the knots from the oven and brush lightly with the garlic butter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Gouda and Cumin Garlic Knots

INGREDIENTS

1 lb pizza dough, at room temperature (we used some of Jim Lahey's No-Knead Pizza Dough)

1 1/2 tbsp Maldon sea salt (or other flaky salt)

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 cup gouda, coarsely grated

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp evoo

1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the Maldon salt with the pepper and cumin seeds. Using your hands, lightly crush the cumin seeds and salt together.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. On a work surface that has been lightly dusted with flour, roll the dough into a large log and cut into 10 equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a 3-inch log and lightly sprinkle with the caraway mixture and some of the cheese. Roll each piece out into a thin log about 6 inches long and loosely tie into a knot.

Place the knots on the prepared baking sheets. Lightly spray the tops with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with additional cheese.

Bake the knots, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, warm the butter with the garlic over low heat until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Remove the knots from the oven and brush lightly with the garlic butter. Serve warm or at room temperature.