Lunch: Buttery Garlic Herb Knots

Ingredients

1/2 recipe Simple Pizza Dough, recipe follows
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, divided
10 cloves garlic, grated
Bench flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Instructions

Prepare the recipe for Simple Pizza Dough. While the dough is rising, prepare the remaining ingredients for the garlic knots and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix the butter with the thyme, rosemary, 2 tablespoons Parmesan and garlic.
Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface. Stretch the dough into a rectangle. Spread half of the butter mixture on half of the dough. Then fold the dough in half, covering the butter with the dough.
Using a pizza wheel, divide the dough into 18 strips. First cut through the middle, then you can cut each half into 9 pieces. Stretch each strip and tie into a knot and tuck the ends underneath the center of the knot. Place the knots onto a baking sheet.
Sprinkle the knots with some of the Parmesan and bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, melt the remaining herb butter.
Once the knots come out of the oven, baste them with the melted butter and sprinkle them with the remaining Parmesan. Serve warm and enjoy!
In a liquid measuring cup, combine the warm water, yeast and sugar. Allow the yeast to dissolve and bloom, about 5 minutes. Once bloomed, add the olive oil.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour and salt. Stream in the water/yeast mixture and as the dough begins to come together, switch to a dough hook attachment. Allow the dough to knead, adding a bit more flour if needed, so that the dough releases from the sides of the bowl, 1 to 3 minutes. You should be able to touch the dough and not have the dough stick to your fingers. Once the dough has kneaded and has pulled away from the sides of the bowl, remove the dough from bowl to a floured work surface and, with floured hands, continue to knead it by hand for 1 to 2 minutes. Then form the dough into a round ball and place it into a large bowl sprayed with nonstick spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel and let the dough rise in a warm area of your kitchen until it doubles in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. After the dough has risen it is ready to be cooked however you'd like!
Cook's Notes: This dough is wet dough, keep bench flour at the ready and make sure to flour your hands when working with the dough. Trust your gut as a chef, if the dough is to wet, add more flour, if it is too stiff, add a little water.
Sugar is used to feed the yeast which will help the dough to grow. Bread flour will give you a chewier texture because the flour has more gluten. You don't need to use a thermometer to get the water temperature, it should just feel warm to the touch.

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