Freshly baked bread is comfort food at its best on any cold, rainy morning. To improve on that, I brushed my homemade buns with garlic butter and dried herbes de Provence which made them wonderfully soft and aromatic. The recipe from Zoom Yummy delivers exactly what it promises – “a simple recipe which yields amazing results” – so I did not have to try too hard to turn my dreary rainy day into a warm and cozy one.

SOFT GARLIC KNOTS

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon caster sugar

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 1/4 teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup lukewarm milk

1 cup lukewarm water

2 cloves garlic, peeled

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon dried herbs

Method:

  • Place flours, sugar, yeast and salt into a bowl and stir to combine. Add oil, milk and water and stir.
  • Using the dough attachment of an electric mixer, mix dough for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.

  • Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat and cover well with a plastic wrap.
  • Allow to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk. Turn onto a very lightly floured surface.

  • Divide it into 8 equal pieces. Use the palms of your hands to roll each ball into a 10-inch long rope.
  • If the dough is too sticky then use a little flour to dust it with. Now tie the rope into a knot.

  • Take the end lying underneath the knot and bring it over the top, tucking it snugly into the center.
  • Take the end lying over the knot and tuck it underneath and into the center. Transfer to a baking sheet.

  • Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the knots rise for another 45 minutes until well risen and puffy.
  • In the meantime, prepare the glaze. Melt the butter and add the pressed or finely minced garlic into it.

  • Add the dried oregano and mix it all together. When your knots are puffy, brush the glaze onto them.
  • Place the knots into a preheated oven (350°F/ 175°C) and bake for about 15-18 minutes.

Soft Garlic Knots