If you love dough balls covered in warm garlic butter as much as I do, you need to try cooking them in an air fryer. This recipe is easy to prepare and tastes amazing.
What You Need
I followed the recipe from the Ninja Kitchen inspiration booklet that came with the Ninja Food Processor, you can download it on their product page.
Although I prepared the dough in a food processor, it can also be prepared by hand, or, in a bread maker if you have one.
For more concise instructions, or to print this recipe out, please head to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Ingredients
For the dough:
400g strong white flour
7g sachet easy blend yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
250ml tepid water
For the garlic butter:
3 garlic cloves, peeled (you can use more or less depending on how garlicky you enjoy your food!)
7g flat leaf parsley
50g butter
Equipment
Air fryer – you can cook them in any air fryer, I have used a Ninja Dual air fryer as well as a Cosori. You may need to cook them in batches depending on the size of the basket.
Food processor – this is optional, the dough can be kneaded by hand, details below.
Preparing The Dough
Using A Food Processor
- Make sure the dough blade is installed in the food processor bowl before adding the flour, yeast, salt and oil.
2. Put the lid on the food processor and press the ‘MIX’ button. While the food processor is working, pour the water through the feed tube.
3. Press ‘MIX’ again to knead the dough. Continue to MIX until the dough starts to form a ball around the blade.
4. Remove the dough from the food processor and place in an oiled bowl, cover it with cling film and leave in a warm place until it has double in size.
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5. The time it takes for the dough to double could be anywhere from half an hour to an hour depending on how warm it is.
6. Seperate the dough into golf ball sized pieces, you should get about 20 out of this recipe.
7. Placed them on a silicone liner in the air fryer, or you could use baking paper instead.
8. Set the air fryer off at 180°C/350°F and cook for 15 minutes. Check in on them at around the half way mark and gently shake so that they roll over.
They are ready when the dough balls are starting to turn golden brown.
Making The Dough By Hand
Don’t have a food processor or bread maker? You can knead the dough by hand.
Combine the dry ingredients by adding the 400g of strong bread flour to a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the 7g sachet of easy blend yeast and 2 teaspoons of salt.
Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the centre of the well. Start adding the 250ml of tepid water gradually. Use a fork to swirl the flour into the centre, incorporating the water and oil until a rough dough begins to form.
Once the mixture is too stiff to stir with a fork, begin to knead with your hands. Bring together all the ingredients into a rough ball, then start the kneading process. Push the dough forward with the heel of your hand, fold it back over itself, and turn it.
Repeat this process for about 10 minutes. The dough should become smooth and elastic. It’s ready when it springs back lightly when poked.
After kneading, shape the dough into a smooth ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl and follow the above steps from number 5 above.
Making The Garlic Butter
You can use premade garlic butter or make your own. I prefer making my own as it’s quick to prepare and it means I can make it extra garlicky!
You could make the garlic butter in the food processor, but it’s easy enough to make by hand.
Melt the butter in a bowl or jug in the microwave. Using some kitchen scissors, or a sharp knife, chop the fresh parsley up and stir it into the melted butter. Use a garlic crusher and crush the cloves directly into the butter. Stir everything around before pouring it over the freshly cooked dough balls.
It’s a good idea to serve the garlic dough balls straight away, and to be fair, the smell of the garlic butter combined with the hot dough means you will be eating them quickly!
I hope you enjoy these garlic dough balls, let me know in the comments if you make them!
Air Fryer Garlic Dough Balls
Ingredients
For the dough
- 400 g strong white flour
- 7 g sachet easy blend yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbps olive oil
- 250 ml tepid water
For the garlic butter
- 3 cloves garlic
- 7 g flat leaf parsley
- 50 g butter
Instructions
Preparing The Dough With A Food Processor
- Install the dough blade in the food processor bowl. Add the flour, yeast, salt and oil. Put the lid on, then press MIX. Pour water through feed tube until the dough starts to form a ball around the blade. Press MIX again to knead the dough.
- Remove dough and place in an oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Leave in a warm place for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
Preparing The Dough By Hand
- Combine the dry ingredients by adding the 400g of strong bread flour to a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the 7g sachet of easy blend yeast and 2 teaspoons of salt.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the centre of the well. Start adding the 250ml of tepid water gradually. Use a fork to swirl the flour into the centre, incorporating the water and oil until a rough dough begins to form.
- Once the mixture is too stiff to stir with a fork, begin to knead with your hands. Bring together all the ingredients into a rough ball, then start the kneading process. Push the dough forward with the heel of your hand, fold it back over itself, and turn it.
- Repeat this process for about 10 minutes. The dough should become smooth and elastic. It’s ready when it springs back lightly when poked.
- After kneading, shape the dough into a smooth ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Leave in a warm place for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
Cooking The Dough Balls In An Air Fryer
- Cook for 15 minutes in an air fryer at 180°C/350°C. Check on them at around 8 minutes and give them a gentle shake so that they can brown all over, also check to see how quickly they are cooking. When I cook them in a Ninja Dual Air Fryer they cook much quicker than my Cosori air fryer. The dough balls are ready when they begin to turn a golden brown colour.
Preparing The Garlic Butter
- Melt the butter in a bowl or jug in the microwave, or in a saucepan on the hob.
- Using some kitchen scissors, or a sharp knife, chop the fresh parsley up and stir it into the melted butter. Use a garlic crusher and crush the cloves directly into the butter.
- Stir everything around before pouring it over the freshly cooked dough balls.
- Pour the garlic butter over the dough balls as soon as they are out of the air fryer. Serve hot.
Equipment
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