ZA'ATAR GARLIC KNOTS (GLUTEN-FREE & VEGAN) | dolly and oatmeal

hi! it’s been a minute!

sorry for the unintentional break from this space, but i have been completely consumed with a little 6 month old (!!!). right around christmas joey went through the “4-month sleep regression”, which lasted a good 2 months. frank and i were sleep deprived on a daily basis, and we thought we could power through. but it got to the point where we were actually putting ourselves, our babies, and the rest of LA in danger. so we buckled up and did some sleep training a few weeks ago. i’m happy to report we’re all getting more sleep, joey’s in a crib (no longer the bassinet), and we’re functioning on all 4 cylinders (most of the time).

anywho, sleep aside. let’s talk about these garlic knots! they’re a riff off of my gluten-free and vegan pizza dough recipe, but with an extra rise, and a bit more time to shape them. aside from that, they bake up quick, are delicious reheated, and have that airy/doughy texture that takes me right back to my childhood. while you can certainly make these plain (without the za’atar), i love the subtle kick of the herb and seed mix here. i usually make these in lieu of pizza and serve them alongside zucchini noodles (sometimes with this sauce), or as a super flavorful addition to any soup you’re serving. you totally just each them plain, too. you really can’t go wrong.

za’atar garlic knots | gf & v

| makes roughly 20 knots |

dough

1 1/2 cups water, warmed to 110°-115°F
1 teaspoon cane sugar
1 packet instant yeast (roughly 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon pysillium husk powder
2 cup fine brown rice flour
1 cup arrowroot powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 egg whisked or 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, for

za’atar garlic topping

3 tablespoons vegan butter (i use miyokos’)
3 garlic cloves, minced on a handheld grater
3-4 tablespoons za’atar

method

preheat your oven to its lowest temperature. as soon as it's preheated turn the oven off.
in a wide, shallow bowl, stir the warmed water with the sugar until it dissolves. sprinkle your yeast over top, let it sit for a couple minutes. once you know it’s active, whisk in the physillium husk powder. let it sit for 5-7 minutes, until the mixture is a bit gel-like.
in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, arrowroot, and salt. make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add the yeast mixture, and the olive oil. use a rubber spatula to incorporate the flour into the wet mixture until a dough starts to form. set the spatula aside and use your hands to knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth dough. transfer dough to an oiled bowl, and pat the top and sides of the dough with oil. cover with a clean dish towel. at this point your oven should be warm, if it feels too hot, vent it a bit, opening the oven door for a few minutes. place the covered dough in the warm oven for about 45 minutes - 1 hour, until it has puffed up and nearly doubled in size.
portion the dough into 2 even pieces, then cut each half into 8 even pieces.
dust a clean work space with flour. use your hands to roll each piece of dough into a long snake, about 8-9 inches long. gently tie each piece into a knot, and place on floured baking sheet. cover with a clean dish towel and place in a warm, draft-free area until they’ve puffed up, about 1 hour.
preheat your oven to 400°F.
brush the tops and sides of the garlic knots with the egg wash or milk, bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes, until a bit golden and crisp.
while the knots are baking, make the za’atar garlic topping. add the butter and garlic to a small saucepan, and cook over low heat swishing the pan every now and them. cook until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes. remove from heat.
brush the tops and sides of the cooked knots with the garlic butter, then sprinkle on the za’atar and some flaky sea salt. serve warm.