
Homemade garlic knots are a great addition to your dinner table as a side dish or an appetizer. The garlic knots dough can be made in the bread machine or stand mixer and they can be baked in the air fryer or in the oven.
Eggless garlic knots can be made at home from scratch with all-purpose flour and instant yeast. They turn out golden brown from the top and are light, soft, and fluffy from the inside. This is a true crowd-pleaser recipe and these knots will be gone in minutes.
Jump to:
What are garlic knots made of?
Garlic knots can be made from scratch at home with only a few basic pantry ingredients. You will need bread flour, instant yeast, warm water, salt, sugar, and oil to make the knots.
Instant yeast works best to make the dough in a bread machine or in the stand mixer. If you do not have bread flour then no worries, these garlic knots can be made with all-purpose flour as well. I use the King Arthur all-purpose flour and don't really see any difference in the results.
While making pizza, if you have any leftover dough, you can also use that to make the garlic knots. Also, you can use store-bought pizza dough to make these garlic knots if you are short of time and cannot make the dough.
For the topping, you will need some butter, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. If you like, you can also use fresh roasted garlic instead of garlic powder and herbs like oregano, parsley, and thyme instead of Italian seasoning. You can also sprinkle some parmesan cheese.

Bread machine garlic knots dough
I love using my bread machine to make garlic knots dough. All you need to do is put all the wet and dry ingredients in the right order as per the manufacturer's direction and select the dough cycle.
The bread machine will do all the tasks of mixing, kneading, and getting the dough through its first rise. One of the main secrets about baking is to weigh the flour instead of measuring it with cups as it provides consistent results every time. With a measuring cup, you may end up adding more flour than needed by the recipe.

You can refer to my blog post on how to make the dough in a bread machine for more details. If you do not have a bread machine, you can also knead the dough in a stand mixer and proof it in the instant pot.
Once the dough cycle is complete, remove the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for a few seconds.
How to tie garlic knots?
Once the dough is ready after its first rise, divide the dough into equal parts. I like to use a food scale and make pieces of about 45 grams each and I get about 16 garlic knots from the recipe. You can divide the dough into smaller sizes if you prefer that way.


Dust each piece slightly with some flour and then roll it into a long stick about 9 inches long and about half an inch in thickness with your palms.
Now take one end over the other to make an x shape with a ring on one side. Make a knot by pulling the lower end through the hole and then allowing it to come outside from the other side of the hole.


I like to keep the ends of the garlic knots open, but if you like, you can also tuck them to the bottom side of the rolls. Arrange the knots in a baking tray lined with parchment paper and let it rest and go through the final rise which can take about an hour.
Can you make garlic knots in an air fryer?
Yes! An air fryer is great to bake garlic knots and it takes half the time to bake compared to the oven. I have made these garlic knots in Instant Vortex Plus air fryer but it will work with any air fryer.
If you have a baking tray to fit in the air fryer, that is great. However, if you don't have one, you can place the garlic knots to rise on parchment paper with a grill mat or silicone mat below it. This will make it easy to place the risen knots in the air fryer basket.


Cover the knots with a small tray or plastic food wrap while they go through the final rise. Once they double in volume, preheat the air fryer to 325° F. Yes, it takes a lower temperature to bake the knots in the air fryer compared to the oven.
Open the air fryer basket when it is ready to add food. Carefully place the garlic knots along with the parchment paper and grill mat into the air fryer basket and continue to air fry at 325° F for 10 minutes.
Once they are golden brown in color, apply the butter mixture and they are ready to serve! The garlic knots when hot will sound hollow from the top when you tap them. When you break them to have a bite, they will be soft, fluffy, and airy from the inside! They will just melt in the mouth.

Garlic knots in oven
If you want to make a large batch or if your air fryer is small, you can bake these garlic knots in the oven at 350° F for about 20 minutes until they are golden brown in color.
Once you divide the dough and tie the knots, place them in a baking tray and cover with another tray or a plastic food wrap. Allow the knots to rise for about an hour in a warm place until they are double in volume.
In cold weather, you can turn the oven to warm for 5 minutes and then allow them to rise for about 45-60 minutes. Do not forget to take them out when you preheat the oven for baking.


Once they double in volume, keep them covered and preheat the oven to 350° F with the rack placed at the mid-level. Bake the garlic knots in the oven for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown in color.
What to put on garlic knots?
Once the garlic knots have been baked in the oven or in the air fryer, in a small bowl make a butter mixture of melted butter, salt, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder and apply it on top of the knots with the help of a basting brush.


You can also use some roasted garlic instead of garlic powder. A little pepper can be sprinkled for flavor. You can also shred some cheese and put it on top of the knots while they are hot.
If you do not have Italian seasoning, you can sprinkle some oregano, parsley, rosemary, or thyme, any seasonings you may have at hand will work well.
What goes good with garlic knots?
Garlic knots are best served as an appetizer or as a side dish. It can be served with a marinara sauce for dipping and kids will just enjoy it. It is a great starter or appetizer for potlucks, parties, and get-togethers.
It also pairs well with soups, mac and cheese, and pasta dishes like lo mein or pasta bake. I also like to serve it with a vegetable casserole, or a salad. It is a big hit with my kids when they have a pizza night with their friends.
How long do garlic knots last?
Garlic knots are best on the day when they are freshly baked. They can be stored at room temperature in a bread box or in an air-tight container for 3-4 days. Just warm them a little bit in the microwave and they will be perfect for serving.
If you plan on storing them longer, you can allow them to cool down completely and then freeze them for about a month. When you are ready to eat, simply take out as many as you want and reheat them in the microwave, oven, or in the air fryer.

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like
- Breadsticks
- Frozen garlic bread
- Cheesy garlic pull-apart rolls
- Smashed potatoes
- Hasselback potatoes
- 15+ Vegan bread machine recipes
- 15+ Indian air fryer recipes
Don't forget to rate the recipe by clicking the stars. Also, pin the recipe by clicking the "Pin" button, for your future reference.
📖 Recipe

Bread Machine Garlic Knots
Equipment
- Bread Machine (or Stand Mixer)
- Convection Oven
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup Water microwave 30 seconds
- 4 tablespoon Oil
Dry ingredients
- 420 gms All-purpose flour 3 ½ cup, or bread flour
- 2 tablespoon Organic cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 7 grams Instant yeast 2 ¼ tsp or bread machine yeast
Topping ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Butter vegan butter can be used
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt (skip if using salted butter)
Instructions
Making dough in bread machine
- Add the wet and dry ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order recommended by your bread machine manufacturer.
- Close the lid and start the "Dough" cycle.
- Once "Dough" cycle completes, remove the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for a few seconds.
Shaping dough to make knots
- Divide the dough into 16 parts (45 grams each) using a pizza cutter.
- Roll each piece with your palms into a smooth and even stick about 8-9 inches long.
- Make knots and place them in a baking tray about 2 inches apart.
Second rise
- Cover the tray with another tray or plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise.
- After about 60 minutes the knots will be double in volume and done through their second rise.
Baking the garlic knots in oven
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F with the rack at the middle level.
- Bake the knots (uncovered) in the preheated oven at 350 °F for about 20 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
- Remove the tray from the oven.
Baking the garlic knots in an air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 325° F.
- Place the risen garlic knots along with the parchment paper in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry the garlic knots for 10 minutes.
- Open the air fryer basket and carefully remove the knots.
Apply topping
- Melt the butter and mix the 'topping ingredients'*
- Apply the topping mixture with the help of a basting brush.
Watch Video
Notes
- It is best to weigh the flour using a food scale for best and consistent results.
- Dough can also be kneaded in a stand mixer and then proved in the instant pot or oven for about 1 hour before shaping into knots.
- Check out this post for detailed instructions on how to knead dough in stand mixer and proof it in the instant pot.
- Follow the remaining steps starting from "shaping the dough"
- To make the garlic knots vegan, use vegan butter.
- For baking in air fryer, rest the knots on a parchment paper for their final rise. Place a grill mat below the parchment paper. This will help to place the knots in the air fryer.
Judy says
So easy and yummy. Thanks for the detailed images and recipe steps. Amazing!
Alpa Jain says
Hi Judy
Thankyou for the feedback. Glad you liked them. 🙂
Cheers
Alpa