Sourdough Discard Garlic Knots (Soft, Buttery, Easy)
These sourdough discard garlic knots are the result of more test batches than I can count and one very honest panel of taste testers, my family! The discard gives them a slight tang and keeps them soft even the next day, and I brush them with garlic butter twice so every bite is packed with flavor. If you’ve got sourdough discard in the fridge, this is the recipe to use it on!
I grew up in New Jersey, so I grew up on pizzeria garlic knots. The soft, chewy ones swimming in garlic butter that came in a paper bag with every pie. When I became an adult and started baking with sourdough, I wanted to recreate those knots with my discard and it became a little bit of an obsession.
I made these over and over until the texture was right. They are pillowy on the inside, golden outside, with just a hint of sourdough tang that makes them taste even better than the pizzeria version. Now they’re on our table every pizza night and every pasta night, and my family fights over the last one. If you have a jar of discard in your fridge, this is the recipe that will make you glad you saved it.
The dough uses a little yeast for a quick rise and sourdough discard for that tangy flavor. If you can tie a knot in a rope, you can make these. My kids help me shape them, and nobody cares if they come out a little wonky because they get brushed with garlic butter anyway!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love These Sourdough Garlic Knots
- Ingredients to Gather
- Variations for Sourdough Garlic Knots
- How to Make Sourdough Garlic Knots
- My Trick for Garlic Knots That Taste Like the Pizzeria
- Same Day, Overnight, or No Yeast
- Tips for the Best Homemade Garlic Knots
- Storage Info
- Can You Freeze Garlic Knots?
- What to Serve with Garlic Knots
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Bread Roll Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
Why You'll Love These Sourdough Garlic Knots
- It's a same-day recipe. A little yeast means you can make these in about 2 hours, no overnight wait. As much as I love a long sourdough bread, these are fast! I have a full sourdough version in my Seasonal Sourdough cookbook, check it out!
- Pizzeria-style flavor. Garlic butter, fresh parsley, and parmesan brushed on while they’re hot. Don't buy garlic knots, make them!
- Make-ahead friendly. Shape them the night before and bake when you’re ready.
Ingredients to Gather
The ingredients for this recipe are all likely in your house already so this is a great recipe to throw together whenever you have a craving!
For the Dough
- Sourdough discard. Unfed discard works perfectly. It can be cold from the fridge or room temperature. I've used discard that was about a week old with great results. Sourdough discard is amazing in bread! It makes the best sourdough discard bread that is crusty and just as good as Dutch oven sourdough bread.
- Instant yeast. This gives you a reliable, quick rise. Active dry yeast works too (see the note in the recipe card).
- Warm water. About 105 to 110°F, warm like bathwater, not hot. Too hot and you will kill the yeast, too cold and it will take forever for the dough to rise.
- Sugar or honey. Feeds the yeast and helps the knots brown.
- Olive oil. Keeps the knots soft and gives them that classic Italian flavor.
- Bread flour. Higher protein means the knots hold their shape and have a nice chew. All-purpose flour works if that's what you have; the knots will just be a little softer and slightly flatter. All-purpose flour works fine in these sourdough garlic knots, they'll just be a touch softer and a little less tall than with bread flour, so you may need a tablespoon or two less water.
- Salt. Don't skip it. Bread without salt tastes flat.
For the Garlic Butter
- Butter. Salted or unsalted. If you use unsalted, add a pinch of salt. I tend to only buy salted butter, so that's usually what I use in my recipes.
- Fresh garlic AND garlic powder. This combo is the secret. Fresh garlic brings the bold, pizzeria flavor and garlic powder gives that deep roasted garlic taste.
- Parsley. Fresh or dried. Dried will have a little more of an intense flavor while fresh will have a more subtle parsley flavor.
- Parmesan. Optional, but highly recommended.
Be sure to check out the printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations for Sourdough Garlic Knots
- Cheesy stuffed garlic knots. Flatten each rope slightly, lay a piece of mozzarella string cheese down the middle, pinch closed, then tie.
- Garlic parmesan knots. Add 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan to the dough with the flour.
- Everything bagel knots. Brush with garlic butter and sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning.
- Sourdough discard garlic rolls. Skip the knot and roll each piece into a smooth ball. Bake in a greased 9x13 pan so they bake up into pull-apart garlic rolls. They would be so good with sliders!
- Pizza knots. Mix a little Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes into the garlic butter and serve with marinara sauce.
How to Make Sourdough Garlic Knots
- Step 1: In a stand mixer bowl, stir together the warm water, yeast, and honey. Add the sourdough discard and olive oil and give it a quick stir. Add the bread flour and salt on top.
- Step 2: Using the dough hook, knead on low to medium speed for 6 to 8 minutes until the dough is smooth, slightly tacky, and springs back when you poke it. By hand, this takes about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot for 60 to 90 minutes, until about doubled.
- Step 3: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and divide it into 12 equal pieces, about 55 to 60 grams each. A kitchen scale makes this super easy and your knots will bake evenly. Roll each piece into a rope about 8 to 9 inches long. If the dough keeps shrinking back, let the pieces rest for 5 minutes and try again. That's the gluten relaxing, not you doing anything wrong.
- Step 4: Tie each rope in a simple loose knot, like you're tying a shoelace with no bow. Tuck one end under the bottom and the other end up through the center on top. Pinch lightly so they don't unravel.
- Step 5: Place the knots on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Cover and let them puff for 30 to 45 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400°F during this time. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown on top and bottom. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the centers should read 190 to 200°F.
- Step 6: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook gently for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Turn off the heat and stir in the garlic powder, parsley, and a pinch of salt.
- Step 7: As soon as the knots come out of the oven, brush them generously with the garlic butter, sprinkle with parmesan, and serve warm.
My Trick for Garlic Knots That Taste Like the Pizzeria
Here's the problem with most homemade garlic knots: if you put fresh garlic on before baking, it burns and turns bitter. If you only use garlic powder, they taste a little flat. My fix is cooking fresh garlic gently in butter on the stovetop while the knots bake, then adding garlic powder off the heat, and brushing it all on the second the knots come out. The hot bread soaks up every drop. That's it, and it makes all the difference.
Same Day, Overnight, or No Yeast
Same day (my go-to). Follow the recipe as written. About 2 hours start to finish.
Overnight version. After kneading, cover the bowl and put it straight in the fridge for 8 to 24 hours. The next day, shape the cold dough (it's actually easier to shape cold), let the knots rise for 60 to 75 minutes, and bake. The longer cold rest gives you more sourdough flavor.
No commercial yeast. This would need active sourdough starter, not sourdough discard. Leave out the yeast and swap the discard for the same weight of active, bubbly sourdough starter. Expect the first rise to take 6 to 10 hours depending on your kitchen, and the second rise 1 to 2 hours. Perfect for mixing in the morning and baking for dinner.
Tips for the Best Homemade Garlic Knots
- Weigh your flour if you can. Too much flour is the number one cause of dense, dry garlic knots. Whenever you are baking, especially baking bread, it's always best to weigh your ingredients.
- Keep the dough slightly tacky. It should feel a little sticky but not leave dough all over your hands.
- Don't roll the ropes too thin. Thin ropes bake up into skinny, crunchy knots instead of fluffy ones.
- Space them out. Crowded knots steam each other and turn pale.
- Brush immediately. Garlic butter on hot bread soaks in. Garlic butter on cool bread just sits on top.
Storage Info
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. They keep well right on your counter at room temperature.
You can keep them in the refrigerator if you would like too. Keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If you want to reheat them, wrap the garlic knots in foil and warm at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or air fry at 320°F for 2 to 3 minutes until warm. Brush with a little fresh garlic butter to bring them right back.
Can You Freeze Garlic Knots?
Yes! Freeze baked, cooled knots (without the garlic butter for best results) in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, then brush with garlic butter. You can also freeze shaped, unbaked knots on a sheet pan, transfer them to a bag, and later thaw them in the fridge overnight, let them rise at room temperature, and bake.
What to Serve with Garlic Knots
These are made for spaghetti night, but we also love them with chicken parm, meat lovers lasagna, baked ziti, a big Caesar salad, or alongside a bowl of tomato soup.
For game day, serve them with warm marinara and ranch for dipping.
You can also serve them with your favorite soup. We especially love them with instant pot lasagna soup and instant pot zuppa toscana.
Troubleshooting
My knots unraveled in the oven. The ends weren't tucked well. Pinch the tucked ends gently into the dough so they stay put.
My knots are flat. Usually under-kneaded dough, old yeast, or too much proofing on the second rise. Next time, poke a knot gently before baking. If the dent slowly springs back halfway, they're ready.
My knots are tough. Too much flour or overbaking. Pull them as soon as they're golden.
The garlic tastes bitter. The garlic browned in the butter. Keep the heat low and pull it the second it smells fragrant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, active starter works exactly the same as discard in this easy garlic knots recipe when you're also using yeast, and if you want to skip the commercial yeast entirely, use active starter and follow the no-yeast timeline above.
Not really, the discard adds a mild depth of flavor rather than a strong tang, and if you want more sourdough flavor, use the overnight method.
I like discard that's no more than about a week or two old from the fridge, and if it smells like nail polish remover, it's still usable but will add more tang.
📖 Recipe
Sourdough Discard Garlic Knots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 100 g Sourdough Discard
- 180 g Warm Water
- 7 g Instant Yeast
- 15 g Honey
- 28 g Olive Oil
- 330 g Bread Flour
- 7 g Salt
Garlic Butter
- 57 g Butter Melted
- 3 Garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Parsley Freshly chopped
- Pinch of Salt
- 2 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and honey. Add sourdough discard and olive oil and stir. Add bread flour and salt.
- Knead with the dough hook on low to medium speed for 6 to 8 minutes (about 10 minutes by hand) until smooth and slightly tacky.
- Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 60 to 90 minutes until about doubled.
- Divide dough into 12 equal pieces (about 55 to 60 g each).
- Roll each piece into an 8 to 9 inch rope. If it shrinks back, rest 5 minutes and try again.
- Tie each rope into a loose knot. Tuck one end underneath and the other end up through the center. Pinch lightly to seal.
- Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet 2 inches apart. Cover and let rise 30 to 45 minutes until puffy. Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Bake 15 to 18 minutes until golden (190 to 200°F internal).
- While they bake, melt butter over low heat. Add minced garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, not browned. Remove from heat and stir in garlic powder, parsley, and salt.
- Brush knots generously with garlic butter right out of the oven. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve warm.
Notes
- For bigger garlic knots, cut the dough into 10 pieces instead of 12. Â
- Active dry yeast. Use the same amount. Let it sit in the warm water and sugar for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy before adding the rest.
- Overnight. After kneading, refrigerate the dough 8 to 24 hours. Shape cold, rise 60 to 75 minutes, bake.
- No yeast. Omit yeast and use 100 g active starter instead of discard. First rise 6 to 10 hours, second rise 1 to 2 hours.
- All-purpose flour. Works fine; hold back 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if the dough feels too sticky.
- Storage. Airtight at room temp 2 days, fridge 5 days, freezer 3 months.
