Pull-Apart Garlic Knots – Pizza Flavored

Directions

• Pizza Dough
• Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
• Make a well in the center.
• Add warm water and olive oil to the flour mixture, and knead it to form a very soft dough.
• Flour absorbs water differently – the water measurements might vary according to the flour that you are using and the climate you are in. So add 2/3 cup of water first, and knead to see if you require to add the 1/2 Tablespoon. Sometimes you might need more water. The result should be very soft (not very sticky) dough. If you get a slightly sticky dough, keep kneading for few more minutes. Avoid adding more flour.
• Next, turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead the dough for 5 minutes.
• Place the dough in a bowl and coat the dough with the 1 tsp of oil to prevent from drying.
• Cover the bowl with a cling wrap and let it rest for at least 1 hour.
• Instant marinara sauce
• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and leave aside. Layer the dish with sauce first by spreading it equally, and sprinkle the top with mozzarella cheese. This Marinara sauce can be frozen for up to 6 months.
• Garlic Butter
• Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Gently brush the garlic butter on the knots just before they go into the oven. Leave some to brush after baking the garlic knots.
• Assembling the Garlic Knots
• After 1 hour, remove the air from the dough. Place the dough on a working surface. Roll the dough into a log and divide the dough into 18 equal size pieces.
• Next, shape each piece into a ball and place it back in the bowl. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, take a 9-inch pie dish/ cake pan and butter or spray with non- stick cooking spray. Layer the dish with sauce first by spreading it evenly, and sprinkle the top with Mozzarella cheese as shown in pictures 1 & 2.
• Now, roll each piece into an 8 – inch rope and tie into a knot.( Picture 3, 4,5)
• Tuck the right end and then bring the left end over tuck it in the center as shown in pictures 6 & 7.
• Then, place each garlic knot around the dish and in the center as shown in Picture 8 & 9.
• After arranging the garlic knots, cover the pie dish with a cling wrap and let it proof for 30- 40 minutes, or until doubled in size. Rising time depends on how warm your kitchen is. Summer has already started here, so mine rose within 20 minutes. Avoid over proofing, this may lead to deflated garlic knots.
• During the last 15 minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 190° C / 374°F. Update: Place a cookie sheet lined with foil on the bottom shelf of the oven to collect any dripping. ( this will keep your oven clean and you will not have melted butter burning in your oven.)
• Before baking, gently brush the garlic knots with garlic butter( Picture10) and bake it for 25 – 30 minutes until slightly golden.
• Brush with the remaining garlic butter and Serve warm.