These Warm Ricotta Knots will win over anyone who still doesn’t like ricotta cheese, and are an excellent way to use up that leftover tub of ricotta sitting in your fridge from your last lasagna run! The addition of ricotta adds a moist richness to these soft bread rolls and the hint of oregano makes these perfect for an Italian night, or for serving with a warm bowl of tomato soup.
One thing is for certain when it comes to making bread at home – it always tastes better than anything you can buy. The smell of freshly baked bread comes wafting out of the oven and fills your home with that warm, soft, unmistakable scent.
Pair that with some aromatic oregano and you have a winning combo. Think of these like the more elegant version of garlic knots!
These rolls come out soft and fluffy thanks to the milk and ricotta, while the egg wash gives these rolls a nice sheen that is delightful to bite into.
For this recipe I used whole milk ricotta cheese, which is the key ingredient to keeping these rolls rich, but really any ricotta will work fine.
You can also substitute the ricotta for cottage cheese in equal amounts, just make sure to puree the cottage cheese a bit in a food processor to achieve a similar texture to the ricotta.
Storing and freezing ricotta knots
You can store and freeze these ricotta knots to enjoy at a later time! Reheating bread can be finicky, but following the steps below will guarantee they are as fresh and soft as the day they were baked!
Countertop storing
You can store these bread knots on the counter in an airtight container for 2-4 days, depending on how warm you keep your house.
The warmer your house is, the shorter length of time the bread will keep fresh. Keep in mind homemade bread does not contain any kinds of artificial preservatives so the shelf life is a lot shorter than store-bought varieties.
If you want to keep your rolls for longer, store them in the fridge! They will keep for 7-14 days refrigerated.
Freezing
You can also freeze these bread knots if you have extra! I recommend storing them in a freezer safe ziplock bag with the air pressed out, to minimize ice crystals.
To reheat frozen ricotta knots, simply place them on a baking tray and loosely cover with foil. Bake on the lowest rack at 270F for 30 minutes until reheated- I find that this is the perfect temperature to keep the bread both moist and soft while having a slightly crispy bottom!
Warm Ricotta Knots Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups all purpose flour (480 g) (120 g per cup)
- 1 tsp salt (5 g)
- 2 tsp dried oregano (2 g)
- 1 cup warm water ( 240 ml)
- ¼ cup whole milk (60 ml)
- 2 tbsp butter, melted (30 g)
- 1 tsp rapid rise yeast (instant yeast) (3 g)
- 2 tbsp sugar (25 g)
- 4 tbsp ricotta cheese or cottage cheese (60 g)
- black pepper and garlic powder, optional
Egg Wash
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp water (15 ml)
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and oregano.
- In a separate bowl, combine the warm water, milk, sugar and yeast. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes to bloom the yeast.
- Combine ricotta and melted butter into the yeast mixture.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn out the dough on a clean flat surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should be slightly stretchy (this means the gluten has relaxed).
- Place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave the dough to rest for about 30 minutes until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F (218C).
- Punch the dough down and divide into 12 dough balls. Roll out each ball into a rope about 10 inches long, and twist to form a loose knot shape.
- Place the knots onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the egg yolk and water in a small bowl, and brush the mixture on to each of the rolls. Optional: sprinkle on some black pepper or garlic powder at this step if desired.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes until golden brown and puffy. Optional: brush a little olive oil or garlic butter over the tops of the rolls. Serve warm.
Warm Ricotta Knots
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour (480 g) (120 g per cup)
- 1 tsp salt (5 g)
- 2 tsp dried oregano (2 g)
- 1 cup warm water ( 240 ml)
- ¼ cup whole milk (60 ml)
- 2 tbsp butter, melted (30 g)
- 1 tsp rapid rise yeast (instant yeast) (3 g)
- 2 tbsp sugar (25 g)
- 4 tbsp ricotta cheese or cottage cheese (60 g)
- black pepper and garlic powder, optional
Egg Wash
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp water (15 ml)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and oregano.
- In a separate bowl, combine the warm water, milk, sugar and yeast. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes to bloom the yeast.
- Combine ricotta and melted butter into the yeast mixture.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn out the dough on a clean flat surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should be slightly stretchy (this means the gluten has relaxed).
- Place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave the dough to rest for about 30 minutes until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F (218C).
- Punch the dough down and divide into 12 dough balls. Roll out each ball into a rope about 10 inches long, and twist to form a loose knot shape.
- Place the knots onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the egg yolk and water in a small bowl, and brush the mixture on to each of the rolls. Optional: sprinkle on some black pepper or garlic powder at this step if desired.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes until golden brown and puffy. Optional: brush a little olive oil or garlic butter over the tops of the rolls. Serve warm.
