Pumpkin Knots

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December 9, 2010 by buttermilkbaker

Alas, I found yet another baking project to procrastinate with. It involves yeast. And pumpkin. And…garlic? Well, only if you want–these are good just on their own, or slathered with butter and a little honey. Yup, just went there.

So I got the idea for pumpkin garlic knots from Handle the Heat and (never home) maker and Oh She Glows, all beautiful blogs full of delicious and original recipes. I’d bookmarked these recipes a while back and was just waiting for the perfect moment to pull them out. Finally, the day came. Not only did I have leftover pumpkin puree, but I was given a lovely home-grown garlic bulb by Buttermilk Boy’s mother and wanted to put it to good use before it went bad. Hellooooo pumpkin garlic knots!

I love a good garlicky knot, and the addition of pumpkin sounded like a fabulous way to introduce some subtle sweetness to the dough without being overpowering. Turns out my inkling was right–these babies turned out great!

So great, in fact, that I took about 25 pictures of them when they came out of the oven.

Whoops.

Here we go!

Yeast + warm water.

Honey + olive oil + pumpkin puree.

Whisked together…

And poured into the well of dry ingredients.

Coming together…

Thank god for dough hooks.

Before the rise…

Risen! Time for knot-forming.

A little roll, a little twist, and…

Voila! Knotty perfection.

And by perfection, I mean lots and lots of imperfection.

Baked at 400 for about 15 minutes and BAM! Donezo.

Cue the photoshoot:

Okay, okay I’ll spare you. Plus, these are still naked. Here’s a pic from later that night:

COVERED in garlic goodness.

I basically just nuked some smart balance light, minced garlic and dried oregano + salt and pep. Tossed a few in a bowl and let the garlic butter seep into all the nooks and crannies.

Served alongside some marinara pasta over baby spinach and sauteed chicken breast. Mmmm mm!

Oh, and some vino. These are stressful times! And it’s frigid outside. Girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.

Pumpkin Garlic Knots (adapted from (never home)maker)

Yield: 2 batches

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoon agave nectar (or honey)
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3-1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (I used King Arthur)

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt & freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves (or parsley, whatever floats your boat)

1. For the dough: Pour the warm water into a medium bowl and whisk in the yeast. Let sit until frothy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the agave nectar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and pumpkin puree.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients then pour in your wet ingredients.

3. Using a rubber spatula, pull all the ingredients together. When you can no longer mix, use your hands to start kneading the dough. Knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth and elastic ball, adding flour as necessary to prevent sticking.

4. Lightly oil another large bowl and put your dough ball inside it — flipping over once to coat both sides lightly with oil. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise for about 2 hours; or until nearly doubled in size.

5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, put in a pizza stone (you may use a pan, too, but it works best with a stone), and divide the dough into two equal pieces. If you’re planning to use the other half the next day, just put it in a large zip-lock bag and store in the fridge. You may also freeze the dough for up to three weeks.

6. To create the knots: tear off sections of dough (2 tablespoons at a time) and roll them into a long snake shape. Tie that snake in a knot. Set aside and continue with the rest of the dough.

7. Once you’ve made all your knots, put them on your stone (or on your pan) and let bake until golden brown on the tops, about 10-15 minutes depending on size of knots.

8. If you want to make them garlic knots, mix together the 1/3 cup olive oil with minced garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano while knots are baking. When the knots are done, toss in the olive oil mixture to coat.

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