Wanna learn how to make garlic knots like a boss? Peep the technique at Prime Pizza. This staple of a side dish that’s virtually available at every New York-style pizzeria no longer has competition. The Prime Pizza garlic knot is on a level of its own – the rest can bow down.
The trick is in the patience and steps before cooking. The dough is shaped and proofed for a half hour, more or less. Instead of using excess dough like a throwaway recipe, they take their time, treating it with utmost care.
The first step is to have a mother dough. I didn’t bother to ask the boys about their dough recipe – just make sure that your own dough is strong. You can Google some hints on making your own starter culture and take it from there. So! Look up how to make pizza dough.
Once you got your ball of dough, the first step is to lay it out flat on a greased surface and press it neatly into a rectangle. Meanwhile, you can preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Then, cut the rectangle in half and follow that by cutting the halves into 1-inch ribbons.
Loop the ribbons around your finger and tuck the end through the loop. Pull out from the other side to create the “knot.” None of this has to be perfect; imperfections are okay, different shapes lead to different textures when cooked.
The next step is to wrap the tray of knots for proofing. If you want to read about what proofing is, you can read up on your Breadmaking 101 here. At prime, they leave the knots by the oven to ensure a warmer climate. Warmer air allows the dough to rise better.
My favorite part is making the garlic spread. Mince fresh-picked parsley and garlic.
Then drop them in a bowl and soak them with olive oil and parmesan until a slushy consistency is made. Wrap the bowl in plastic and place it on the roof of the oven – the oven will give it enough warmth to get the raw bitter flavor out of the garlic.
When 30 minutes pass, the dough should increase in size and look smoother. Remove the plastic and set the pizza in the oven for 8 minutes.
After 8 minutes, rotate the knots and bake for another 8 minutes.
Remove the knots from the oven and pull the bowl of garlic mixture from the top of the oven.
Take a large handful of Parmesan and place it in the mixture, then toss the knots in the bowl like a giant Cesar salad.
Warm up some marinara sauce, season with chili flakes for just a little amount of spice, and then devour. The inside should have a nice air pocket and the outside should be crispy.
Thank you, Prime Pizza! You can visit Prime Pizza in LA at:
446 N Fairfax Ave. Los Angeles 90036
Tuesday – Thursday Sunday: 11am-11pm
Friday & Saturday: 11am-2am
Monday: Closed
Delivery available! (323) 852-1188 – info@primepizza.la