A Levantine spin on the classic, these Za’atar Garlic Knots hit the spot. They are soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside, garlicky and herby. The za’atar spice blend takes them to the next level! These knots can be served as a side, as a snack, or even enjoyed for breakfast.
If you have made any of my other easy and approachable baking recipes, you’ll see a common theme. The base recipe is very similar to my Taboon (flatbread), Za’atar Manakish and Cheese Fatayer recipes.
Ingredients
This recipe comes together with just a few standard pantry ingredients. The key here is to source good quality za’atar! It’ll make all the difference, trust me!
- Flour: I like making this recipe using all-purpose flour. Bread flour also works. But depending on your taste and preference, you can use some whole wheat flour in this recipe. A good starting point is to sub out ¼ of the white flour for whole wheat. As long as you maintain the total quantity listed in the recipe, you can play around with the proportions.
- Yeast: I use and recommend instant yeast, but you can use active dry yeast. If you use dry active yeast, keep the quantity the same and bloom it in warm water before adding it to the dry ingredients. You can also use fresh yeast but do adjust the quantity. When using fresh yeast instead of dry, use double the amount by weight.
- Za’atar: These wouldn’t be za’atar garlic knots without the za’atar. I encourage you to purchase some good quality Palestinian za’atar spice blend from your local Middle Eastern market. These days, you can even find it in grocery stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole foods. If you want to, you can also try to make your own za’atar blend using my recipe. If you are unsure of how to use Za’atar, try a few of mine: Za’atar Chicken Thighs, Za’atar Manakish, or Olive and Za’atar Focaccia.
- Olive oil: Keeping this recipe in line with Middle Eastern flavors, I am using olive oil. But you can also use melted butter too.
- Garlic: Garlic powder is easy to work with and won’t burn, so I am recommending that you use it instead of fresh. But if you want to use fresh, I would recommend that you keep an eye on the bake and reduce the heat if you start to see the garlic burning in the oven.
- Cheese: This is an optional ingredient, but I like adding a touch of grated parmesan cheese to the knots before baking. Cheese and Za’atar work well together. Fan of cheese? Try my Cheese Manakish (flatbread).
Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this page for the full ingredient list and quantities.
How to Make These Za’atar Garlic Knots
This is not a difficult recipe, but I recommend you read through all the steps so you know what to expect.
Step 1. Mix the dough. Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment or a large bowl and your hands, knead together the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, olive oil and water. You are looking for a firm yet souple dough without any streaks or tears.
Step 2. First rise. Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Step 3. Make the za’atar garlic dressing. In a small bowl, combine extra virgin olive oil, za’atar and garlic powder. Set aside for now.
Step 4. Divide. When the dough ball has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and place it on your countertop. Flatten it slightly so it is easier to cut. Using a bench scraper, pizza cutter or a sharp knife, divide the dough ball in half down the middle. Then divide each half into 6 long pieces. You want to cut 12 equal pieces. Try to be as even as possible.
Step 5. Roll and knot. Take a piece of dough and roll it to about 6 inches in length. Repeat the process with the remaining 11 pieces. Take one long piece of dough and tie it into a loose knot in the middle. Tuck the edges under the knot, pressing firmly so that the two ends are joined. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining dough pieces.
Step 6. Preheat the oven and second rise. Preheat your oven to 400F/205C. Cover the knots with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest and rise slightly again while the oven preheats.
Step 7. Brush dressing. Using a pastry brush, brush on the za’atar and garlic dressing on each knot. Sprinkle on the cheese, if using.
Step 8. Bake. Bake the knots in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. After the knots come out of the oven drizzle them lightly with olive oil and sprinkle on some more za’atar. Enjoy while still warm.
Serving Ideas
These knots are amazing on their own but if you’re looking for some pairing suggestions, I got you. You can dip them in a side of marinara sauce just like every other garlic knot recipe out there suggests, but why not get a little creative?
For breakfast, serve the warm knots along with some fried eggs, Middle Eastern cheese, store-bought or homemade labneh, ful medames (fava and chickpea breakfast stew), galayet bandora (fried tomatoes) or musabaha (creamy warm chickpeas with tahini).
The knots are a perfect side dish or appetizer to complete a meal. Serve them with any one of my main dishes, but they will work nicely with some of my traditional Middle Eastern mains like pulled lamb, Maftoul (Palestinian couscous), za’atar chicken thighs, or one of my grilled meat recipes (chicken shish tawook or beef kofta).
They can even be served as a side with a traditional Sunday roast instead of boring dinner rolls. Think outside the box!
Expert Tips
- Keep this recipe vegan. Don’t use the cheese, or use a vegan cheese substitute to keep this recipe vegan.
- Make mini knots. You can divide the dough into 18 or even 24 pieces and make much smaller knots. You’ll need to bake for slightly less time, so make sure to keep an eye on the oven.
- Add garlic and za’atar to the dough. This isn’t necessary, but to amp up the flavor, you can add a teaspoon of garlic powder and a tablespoon of za’atar in with the flour when making the dough.
- Freeze the unbaked shaped knots. Rather than freezing the entire dough, you can shape the knots and place them on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan, and freeze them until solid. Then transfer the frozen knots to a freeze bag and freeze for up to 6 months. When you want to bake them, you can take them out and let them thaw for 30 minutes before brushing them with the dressing and baking them off.
- Use store-bought dough. Listen I get it! Sometimes, we want a quick fix! Store-bought pizza dough will work in a pinch.
- Give them space. Don’t crowd your pan. Use a large baking sheet and give the knots room to bake.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can bake these knots in advance and serve them at room temperature or warm them up in a toaster oven or air fryer before serving. If you are serving these at a party or for quests, I wouldn’t recommend making them more than a few hours in advance.
In a plastic bag on the counter for up to 2 days or you can refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freezing is another option. Freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe bag for up to 6 months. You can then reheat them from frozen at a low temperature in the oven or air fryer, or let them defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat.
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Recipe Card
Za’atar Garlic Knots
Equipment
- Stand Mixer - Optional
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups All purpose flour - 350 grams
- 2 teaspoon White sugar - 8 grams
- 2 ¼ teaspoon Instant yeast - 7 grams (or one packet)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt - 5 grams
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil - 28 grams
- ¾ cup Warm water - 178 grams
Topping
- 3 tablespoon Za'atar spice blend
- 3 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder - Use more if you like garlic
- 2-3 tablespoon Parmesan cheese - Optional
After Baking
- Garnish with more olive oil and za’atar - Optional
Instructions
- Mix the dough. Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment or a large mixing bowl and your hands, knead together the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, olive oil and water. You are looking for a firm yet souple dough without any streaks or tears.
- First rise. Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl and cover with a towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Make the za’atar garlic dressing. In a small bowl, combine extra virgin olive oil, za’atar and garlic powder. Set aside for now.
- Divide. When the dough ball has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and place it on your countertop. Flatten it slightly so it is easier to cut. Using a bench scraper, pizza cutter or a sharp knife, divide the dough ball in half down the middle. Then divide each half into 6 long pieces. You want to cut 12 equal pieces. Try to be as even as possible.
- Roll and knot. Take a piece of dough and roll it to about 6 inches in length. Repeat the process with the remaining 11 pieces. Take one long piece of dough and tie it into a loose knot in the middle. Tuck the edges under the knot, pressing firmly so that the two ends are joined. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining dough pieces.
- Preheat the oven and rest the dough. Preheat your oven to 400F/205C. Cover the knots with a clean towel and let them rest and rise slightly again while the oven preheats.
- Brush dressing. Using a pastry brush, brush on the za’atar and garlic dressing on each knot. Sprinkle on the cheese, if using.
- Bake. Bake the knots in a preheated oven on middle rack for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. After the knots come out of the oven drizzle them lightly with olive oil and sprinkle on some more za’atar. Enjoy while still warm.
Notes
- Flour: I like making this recipe using all-purpose flour. Bread flour also works. But depending on your taste and preference, you can use some whole wheat flour in this recipe. A good starting point is to sub out ¼ of the white flour for whole wheat. As long as you maintain the total quantity listed in the recipe, you can play around with the proportions.
- Yeast: I use and recommend instant yeast, but you can use dry active yeast. If you use dry active yeast, keep the quantity the same and bloom it in warm water before adding it to the dry ingredients.
- Za’atar: These wouldn’t be za’atar garlic knots without the za’atar. I encourage you to purchase some good quality Palestinian za’atar spice blend from your local Middle Eastern market.
- Garlic: Garlic powder is easy to work with and won’t burn, so I am recommending that you use it instead of fresh. But if you want to use fresh, I would encourage you to keep an eye on the oven and reduce the heat if you start to see the garlic burning
- Cheese: This is an optional ingredient, but I like adding a touch of grated parmesan cheese to the knots before baking. Cheese and Za’atar work well together. Omit this to keep the recipe fully vegan.
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