Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.

Stir the oil and mola.s.ses into the apple juice. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl; make a well and add the yeast and the apple juice mixture. Mix thoroughly and knead to make a supple dough, adjusting the liquid or flour as necessary. Knead for 15 minutes or so, then work in the currants, kneading until they are evenly distributed in the dough.

Form the dough into a ball and place it smooth side up in the bowl. Cover and keep in a warm, draft-free place. After about an hour and a half, gently poke the center of the dough about inch deep with your wet finger. If the hole doesn't fill in at all or if the dough sighs, it is ready for the next step. Press flat, form into a smooth round, and let the dough rise once more as before. The second rising will take about half as much time as the first.

Round the dough in a loaf-sized piece or pieces, and let rest until soft. The recipe makes enough dough for two high 8 4 pan loaves, or you can make one large ring. For the ring, round the whole dough and let it rest until it relaxes, then press from one side to the other to deflate. Use your thumb to make a hole in the center. Gently enlarge the hole to about 5 inches without tearing the dough. Place in a greased angel food cake pan, tucking the outside edges under if necessary, to make the top smooth and nicely rounded. If you are deft and can shape the loaf just right before putting it in the pan, dust the pan with poppy seeds. Or, dust cinnamon on top of the crust after forming the ring. This shape also works beautifully on a big cookie sheet, without the angel food cake pan, though the bread is flatter. Don't skip the hole in the middle, or the big loaf won't bake through. 4 pan loaves, or you can make one large ring. For the ring, round the whole dough and let it rest until it relaxes, then press from one side to the other to deflate. Use your thumb to make a hole in the center. Gently enlarge the hole to about 5 inches without tearing the dough. Place in a greased angel food cake pan, tucking the outside edges under if necessary, to make the top smooth and nicely rounded. If you are deft and can shape the loaf just right before putting it in the pan, dust the pan with poppy seeds. Or, dust cinnamon on top of the crust after forming the ring. This shape also works beautifully on a big cookie sheet, without the angel food cake pan, though the bread is flatter. Don't skip the hole in the middle, or the big loaf won't bake through.

You can also make smaller rounds with or without the hole. Bake them on pie tins, or two or more rounds per cookie sheet. Or make big, pretty m.u.f.fins, 12 to one loaf's worth (half the recipe).

Let the shaped dough rise once more, until it slowly returns the indentation made with your wet finger. Place in preheated 350F oven. The baking time will vary with the size and thickness of the dough: in the tube pan it will take almost an hour; the m.u.f.fin-sized breads, about 25 minutes.

- 1 cup currants (140 g) - 2 cups apple juice (475 ml) - cup miller's bran (17 g) - 1 teaspoon allspice - 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ( oz or 7 g) - cup warm water (120 ml) - cup oil (60 ml) - 2 tablespoons mola.s.ses (30 ml) - 5 cups whole wheat flour (830 g) - 2 teaspoons salt (14 g) - more juice or water if required Applesauce Walnut Bread - 1 cup applesauce (235 ml) - 3 tablespoons oil (45 ml) - 1 cup b.u.t.termilk (235 ml) - 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ( oz or 7 g) - 1 cup warm water (235 ml) - 5 cups whole wheat flour (830 g) - 2 teaspoons salt (14 g) - cup walnuts (80 g), toasted and chopped A moist and long-keeping bread, just sweet enough for good eating, but not too sweet for any kind of sandwich. The flavor of the walnuts comes forth and the apple plays a quiet supporting role.

Heat the applesauce until it is quite warm. Slowly stir in the oil and the cold b.u.t.termilk.

Dissolve the yeast in the water.

Blend the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in them and add the liquids. Stir from the center to mix, folding in the rest of the flour and combining to make a medium-soft dough. Add more water or flour if required. Knead very well; toward the end of the kneading, work in the walnuts.

Form the dough into a ball and place it smooth side up in the bowl. Cover and keep in a warm, draft-free place. After about an hour and a half, gently poke the center of the dough about inch deep with your wet finger. If the hole doesn't fill in at all or if the dough sighs, it is ready for the next step. Press flat, form into a smooth round, and let the dough rise once more as before. The second rising will take about half as much time as the first.

Press the dough flat and divide in two. Round it and let it rest until relaxed, then deflate and shape into loaves. Place in greased 8 4 loaf pans and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until the dough slowly returns a gently made fingerprint. Bake about an hour at 350F, though if the bread rises as well as it can, the loaves may take less time in the oven. 4 loaf pans and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until the dough slowly returns a gently made fingerprint. Bake about an hour at 350F, though if the bread rises as well as it can, the loaves may take less time in the oven.

Wheat-Nut Anise Bread - cup coa.r.s.e bulgur wheat (128 g) - 2 teaspoons anise seed - 1 cup water (235 ml) - 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ( oz or 7 g) - 1 cup warm water (235 ml) - 2 tablespoons oil (30 ml) (optional) - cup honey (60 ml) - 2 eggs, slightly beaten - 5 cups finely ground whole wheat flour (750 g) - 1 tablespoon salt (16.5 g) Light, sweet, nubbly, with the perfume of anise, this bread comes into its fullest appeal on the second day.

Cover grain and seeds with cold water and let stand overnight; or pour boiling water over them, and let stand for ten minutes in mixing bowl. The wheat may not cook or absorb all the water; that's okay. Cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve the yeast in the cup of warm water.

Mix oil and honey well, and add eggs. Add to the bulgur mixture. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, and add the liquids. Feel the dough to see whether it needs more water, and if so, add the water by wetting your hands and working it in as you knead. It may require as much as a cup. The dough will be sticky, but knead it well so it can carry the bulgur. The dough should be soft because the wheat will continue to absorb water, particularly if you did not soak it overnight.

Form the dough into a ball and place it smooth side up in the bowl. Cover and keep in a warm, draft-free place. After about an hour and a half, gently poke the center of the dough about inch deep with your wet finger. If the hole doesn't fill in at all or if the dough sighs, it is ready for the next step. Press flat, form into a smooth round, and let the dough rise once more as before.

Press the dough flat, cut in two, and shape into rounds. Let them rest until well softened, then form the loaves carefully to avoid tearing the smooth surface; a judicious dusting of flour on the board helps. Place the shaped loaves in greased 8 4 pans, or make round hearth loaves in pie tins or on a cookie sheet. Proof in a warm, slightly humid place until very high. They are ready for the oven when the dough slowly returns a wet fingerprint. It may happen that because of the roughness of the dough, the surface of the loaf tears. If it does, then just before putting it in the oven, slash the top with a serrated knife in an artistic way so the spontaneous rip looks intentional. 4 pans, or make round hearth loaves in pie tins or on a cookie sheet. Proof in a warm, slightly humid place until very high. They are ready for the oven when the dough slowly returns a wet fingerprint. It may happen that because of the roughness of the dough, the surface of the loaf tears. If it does, then just before putting it in the oven, slash the top with a serrated knife in an artistic way so the spontaneous rip looks intentional.

Place the risen loaves in a well-preheated oven, 350F, for 45 to 50 minutes.

Manuel's Seed Bread - 3 cups whole wheat bread flour (450 g) - 1 teaspoons salt (7 g) - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (9 g) - 2 teaspoons poppy seeds (7 g) - 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds (10 g) - 1 cups water, tepid (375 ml) This naturally leavened bread has a wonderful taste and dense but bready texture. It won't rise much in the bowl as it ferments, but it may surprise you by springing in the oven. The fermentation time is 12 to 18 hours at room temperature, but on a cold winter day it may take longer.

Combine all the ingredients except the water. Make a well in the center, pour in the water, and mix into a slightly stiff dough, adding more water or flour if necessary. Knead well. Keep the dough in a covered container to protect it from invading critters, and in a reasonably cool place, about 70F. Let it ferment for 12 to 18 hours, kneading it about two-thirds of the way through the rising time to refresh the dough.

When the dough feels dry (unsticky) and elastic, divide it in two and knead gently into rounds. Let it rest protected from drafts for another 30 minutes to soften, then form into 2 small round loaves. Sprinkle poppy seeds on the table and roll the loaf tops on them.

Place in two greased 1-quart bowls or on a greased cookie sheet. Put the shaped loaves into an oven preheated to 350F without further rising, and bake until done, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The wheat-colored crust will brown lightly. Allow to cool completely; slice thin.

Lemony-Fennelly Bread - 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ( oz or 7 g) - cup warm water (120 ml) - 5 cups finely ground whole wheat flour (830 g) - 1 teaspoon fennel seeds - 2 teaspoons salt (14 g) - 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel - 1 cup warm b.u.t.termilk (235 ml) - cup honey (60 ml) - juice of one lemon (30 ml) - 1 cup water (235 ml) - 2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter (28 g) The lemon and fennel combination make a delicate, b.u.t.tery, light and tender loaf. If you aren't keen on fennel, the bread is good without it, but it does add a distinct gourmet touch. If you want to omit the fennel, poppy seeds are pretty and harmonize nicely-or go seedless.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.

Mix the dry ingredients, including the lemon peel, in a large bowl.

Mix the b.u.t.termilk and honey and add them to the dry ingredients, then stir until partially mixed. Stir the lemon juice and the water together and then add, mixing the whole together. Finally, add the yeast mixture and combine to make a soft dough. This sequence may seem complicated, but it protects the yeast.

Knead very well, adding the b.u.t.ter in tiny cold chips after the dough has become supple and elastic. Knead until completely absorbed.

Form the dough into a ball and place it smooth side up in the bowl. Cover and keep in a warm, draft-free place. After about an hour and a half, gently poke the center of the dough about inch deep with your wet finger. If the hole doesn't fill in at all or if the dough sighs, it is ready for the next step. Press flat, form into a smooth round, and let the dough rise once more as before. The second rising will take about half as much time as the first.

Press the dough flat and divide in two. Round it and let it rest until relaxed, then deflate and shape into loaves. Place in greased 8 4 loaf pans and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until the dough slowly returns a gently made fingerprint. Bake about 50 minutes at 350F. 4 loaf pans and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until the dough slowly returns a gently made fingerprint. Bake about 50 minutes at 350F.

My Heart's Brown Stollen - 4 teaspoons active dry yeast ( oz or 14 g) - cup warm water (120 ml) - 7 cups finely ground whole wheat bread flour (1650 g) - 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (300 g) - 2 teaspoons salt (11 g) - 1 cup small curd cottage cheese (235 ml) - 2 cups hot water (475 ml) - cup honey (175 ml) - cup rum (60 ml) - 3 eggs - cup b.u.t.ter (170 g) There are perhaps as many traditional recipes for stollen as there are bakers of it. Ours is a new tradition, as good as the old ones but not so wildly rich. The rum is optional, but it does provide a heady dash. (If you prefer a boozier stollen, soak the dried fruit in rum overnight before you proceed.) The cottage cheese makes the bread at once tenderer and a little less reprehensible nutritionally, and is quite traditional in some parts of Germany.

This recipe makes two large stollen or several small ones. It keeps well for over a week, but store in the freezer if you want to keep it longer. It is truly special sliced super thin and served for Christmas tea.

A note here on the baking: Try to use heavy cookie sheets, and keep the bread away from the bottom of the oven if yours tends to overheat there, as most do. It may help to put a second cookie sheet under the first one, especially on the bottom rack. Turn and reverse the loaves halfway through if they are not baking evenly.

Dissolve the yeast in the cup water.

Stir the flours and the salt together. Mix the cottage cheese, hot water, honey, and rum together well, then add the eggs. Add to flour mixture. Mix the dough and knead about 10 minutes, then work in the b.u.t.ter. Stop kneading when the b.u.t.ter is all incorporated; you will be working the dough more when you add the fruits and nuts.

Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place. Deflate it after an hour and a half or more, when your wet finger makes a hole in the center of the dough that does not fill in. Return the dough to its warm place to rise again. Meantime, prepare the fruit.

Chop all of the fruit so that it is about the size of raisins. If your apricots or peaches are very leathery, pour boiling water over them and let them stand until they are softer, but not mushy! All the fruit for this bread should be firm in texture so it doesn't get lost in the dough as you knead it in. If your almonds are not very tasty, toast them quite well and sprinkle a tablespoon of almond extract over the nuts when they are chopped.

Work the fruit into the dough on a large surface in a place you can protect from drafts. Flour the surface and turn the twice-risen dough onto it. Press the dough flat, and then with a rolling pin very gently roll it as large as it will tolerate without tearing. Don't be rough.

Cover the dough and let it rest about 10 minutes. Mix the fruits and nuts together and turn onto the dough. Roll or fold them together and in a leisurely way knead in the goodies so that the dough incorporates them uniformly. Divide and round the dough-make one round for each loaf you want to make-and let it rest again, covered, for at least 15 minutes. The dough will rise amazingly considering all it has been through. You can make two large stollen or as many smaller ones as you like.

To shape, press or roll each of the rounds into a long oval. Then fold it over lengthwise, not quite in half, as shown in the ill.u.s.tration.

Place the shaped stollen on greased cookie sheets and let them rise again in a humid, warm place until the dough slowly returns a gently made finger-print. Bake in a preheated oven (325F) for about an hour for the large ones, proportionately less for the smaller. Allow plenty of time for cooking, since the fruit holds moisture, but watch closely so that it does not overbake. When cool, dust with confectioner's sugar.

- grated peel of 2 lemons, about 2 tablespoons - grated peel of 2 oranges, about cup - 1 pound raisins (454 g), about 3 cups - 1 pound other dried fruits (454 g), about 3 cups (include a good amount of apricot plus currants, peaches, pineapple, prunes-or more raisins!) - 1 cup toasted almonds (213 g), chopped coa.r.s.ely - melted b.u.t.ter, about cup (60 ml) - confectioner's sugar, about cup (60 g) Lynne's Holiday Loaves - 1 cup walnuts, chopped (120 g) - 1 cup raisins (145 g) - 1 cup boiling water (235 ml) - cup honey (60 ml) - 1 cup orange juice (235 ml) - 2 tablespoons oil (30 ml) - 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ( oz or 7 g) - cup warm water (120 ml) - 5 cups finely ground whole wheat flour (830 g) - 2 teaspoons salt (14 g) - 2 tablespoons grated orange peel (peel of 2 or 3 oranges) Chewy and dark with exceptional flavor, this bread has no dairy products-unusual for holiday baking. It keeps very well, retaining its goodness as long as a week under good storage conditions.

Please note! When people have trouble with this recipe it is because they alter the order of mixing and damage the yeast with the acidic liquids. Do follow the directions closely for this one, because it makes wonderful bread given the chance. When people have trouble with this recipe it is because they alter the order of mixing and damage the yeast with the acidic liquids. Do follow the directions closely for this one, because it makes wonderful bread given the chance.

Prepare the walnuts by toasting slightly in the oven.

Rinse the raisins and pour the boiling water over them in a pan. Simmer for five minutes. Drain immediately, setting aside the raisins and bringing the measure of the water back to 1 cup.

Dissolve the yeast in the cup warm water. Separately mix honey, orange juice, oil, and raisin water.

Mix the flour, salt, and orange peel in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the orange juice mixture. Combine these until they are nearly mixed, and then add the yeast. Mix to form a dough, and knead five to ten minutes only. five to ten minutes only. Cover and set aside to rise in a warm place. Cover and set aside to rise in a warm place.

When the dough has risen until your -inch fingerprint remains without filling in, knead about 10 minutes more, gradually adding the raisins and walnuts as you knead. Let rise again.

Divide in two. Round them and let them rest, covered, until relaxed. Make pretty round hearth loaves, or two 8 4 pan loaves. Set them in their warm place to rise again, and then bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 55 minutes, or until done. Small hearth loaves will take less baking time. 4 pan loaves. Set them in their warm place to rise again, and then bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 55 minutes, or until done. Small hearth loaves will take less baking time.

Small Wonders This is a kind of patchwork section, each bread special in its own way, and quite different from all the others; what they have in common is that they are good eating, and not loaves. The recipes vary a lot, too, in how demanding they are: making breadsticks, for example, is easy-kid stuff for sure-and anyone with even a little chutzpah can make our bagels. (Even so, just see whether they aren't the best you've ever tasted.) Ah, but dinner rolls-there's a challenge worthy of a baker's steel: high, light, tasty, tender delicacies that demonstrate your consummate mastery of breadmaking. (Won by faithfully following through A Loaf for Learning twelve times, and making perfect bread eleven times.) a challenge worthy of a baker's steel: high, light, tasty, tender delicacies that demonstrate your consummate mastery of breadmaking. (Won by faithfully following through A Loaf for Learning twelve times, and making perfect bread eleven times.) Making Soft Dinner Rolls When you have built up a solid reputation as a breadbaker, the time will come when Aunt Agatha (who has never until now acknowledged the existence of brown flour) approaches you and announces, "You may make the rolls for the Family Reunion Thanksgiving Dinner. Make them soft and tasty-and light light, not like those rocks you served when we had dinner at your house."

Well, maybe your aunt is more diplomatic, but the implication is there. It is a challenge-one of the more interesting challenges in breadmaking, because you want to take the hot rolls out of the oven at the last minute so that they are fresh and soft and the kitchen and dining room are full of their fragrance. If the dears don't work, there is nowhere to hide. But if they do work, the critics are really really impressed. "These rolls taste just like you hope the ones they serve in a nice restaurant will taste, only they never do." Ah, glory. impressed. "These rolls taste just like you hope the ones they serve in a nice restaurant will taste, only they never do." Ah, glory.

GENERAL SUGGESTIONS.

The instructions that follow should guide an experienced baker to make choices that will produce very beautiful results, but if there is more in this section than you ever wanted to know about making rolls, ignore the excruciating detail. Just form a loaf's worth of any light dough into smooth b.a.l.l.s, let them rise, and bake them. Served hot from the oven, your rolls will be delicious, and probably just as welcome to their eaters as they would be if they were made using every trick in the book. That said, here are the fine points (for Aunt Agatha's kin).

FLOUR.

If the occasion is a dressy one, choose very finely ground flour. For less formal times, coa.r.s.e stone-ground flour makes wonderfully "country" rolls, tender and flaky. If you want them chewy, go for the highest-gluten hard spring wheat flour you can find. For the melt-in-your-mouth variety, a slightly lower gluten content is called for-for example, a reasonable winter wheat flour of medium strength. Or use your high-gluten flour, subst.i.tuting whole wheat pastry flour for one cup of it.

FOR SOFTNESS.

Including the softer flour will help give a tenderer roll. Chief among the professional baker's tricks is using lots lots of fat. We would go so far as to double the amount of b.u.t.ter in the recipe for a special occasion, and enhance its effect by using b.u.t.termilk, for example, which helps give a very tender crumb texture when it is used as part of the liquid measure of the dough. of fat. We would go so far as to double the amount of b.u.t.ter in the recipe for a special occasion, and enhance its effect by using b.u.t.termilk, for example, which helps give a very tender crumb texture when it is used as part of the liquid measure of the dough.

EGGS.

Since their yolks lend richness and tenderness, and their whites give a higher rise, eggs are often included in roll dough. Their presence doesn't improve the flavor of the roll much, though, when you are using whole wheat. If you want to include eggs, be extra careful not to let the rolls dry out in the proofing, and be sure not to overbake them, or they will be dry and horrid. Our Challah recipe makes good eggy rolls if you follow these suggestions. For best results, proof in a humid place and bake with a little steam at the outset.

THE DOUGH.

Whether or not you include eggs, your rolls will achieve their best flavor and highest rise only if you knead the dough until the gluten is completely developed, and keep the consistency quite soft. Also, be careful not to let the dough ferment too long, particularly if you are going to take the extra time to make fancy shapes. If you are not an old hand at shaping rolls and think you might need some leeway, you can let half the dough rise its second time in a cooler spot so that it is not ready to shape until you have finished with the first half. This is also a useful ploy if your oven s.p.a.ce is limited: you can arrange for the second pan of rolls to be ready to begin its final rise just when the first pan goes into the oven.

SHAPES.

Part of the charm of rolls is that you can use your imagination to make fanciful shapes that delight the eye. On the following pages we have sketched some cla.s.sic shapes that work well-that is, they are simple to do, bake evenly and look beautiful.

At the other end of the spectrum, quite a few connoisseurs hold that for sheer eating quality, the plain cushion-shaped roll, whose soft sides have been supported by its neighbors', is the very best: and plenty pretty, at that.

PROOFING.

The last secret for making your rolls featherlight is to allow plenty of time for the final rise after shaping. We would go so far as to say that rolls should be slightly overproofed, so long as the dough has not gotten old already from too much rising in earlier stages, or too much time spent in the shaping.

CRUSTS.

Whatever the shape, if you want the crust to glow with a soft l.u.s.ter, brush the tops of the rolls with melted b.u.t.ter after baking. For a shinier finish, brush with bun wash: one egg beaten lightly with the amount of water it takes to fill half of its sh.e.l.l. Brush on immediately before before baking, or just when the rolls come out of the oven; their heat will cook the egg and the surface will glisten. (The egg does tend to slide down and burn on the cookie sheet.) For shine and softness, wash before baking, and brush with b.u.t.ter after. baking, or just when the rolls come out of the oven; their heat will cook the egg and the surface will glisten. (The egg does tend to slide down and burn on the cookie sheet.) For shine and softness, wash before baking, and brush with b.u.t.ter after.

Use a soft brush, a feather brush, or a fringed napkin for glazing unbaked dough; a stiff brush can undo all your good work by squashing the airy delicacies at their weakest moment. And please, if you are going to go to the trouble, take care to cover the whole exposed surface evenly. A messy washing doesn't make any big improvement in the rolls' appearance. b.u.t.ter looks best, incidentally, if the coating is thin.

Best Soft Dinner Rolls One recipe of b.u.t.termilk Bread will make two 9 13 pans of terrific rolls-either 12 or 15 rolls to the pan, or as many cloverleaf, bowknot, palmleaf, swirl, fan-tan, etc, rolls, on a baking sheet. 13 pans of terrific rolls-either 12 or 15 rolls to the pan, or as many cloverleaf, bowknot, palmleaf, swirl, fan-tan, etc, rolls, on a baking sheet.

For best flavor, start the dough cool, gradually warming it from rise to proof. Mix a 70F dough; first rise slow, 70F; second rise, 80F; proof 9095F, for example. If you follow this pattern, the first rise will take about 2 hours; the second, about an hour, or a little more, and the proof, about 45 minutes. However you schedule your risings, though-fast, slow, or accelerating-be careful not to let the dough rise longer than it needs to (not so long that it sighs when you poke it after each rising), because shaping rolls takes extra time, and you don't want to spoil the flavor by letting the dough get old.

SHAPING CUSHION STYLE PAN ROLLS.

Flour the board lightly. Flatten the dough and divide it in two or three pieces, rounding each one. Let them relax, covered, to protect them from drafts. Uncover one round and press it flat. Divide into three even parts, cover two, and then make four or five rounds out of each piece.

Try to keep the smooth gluten film intact on each roll. Sprinkle the greased pan with sesame or poppy seeds if you wish, and then place the rounds in the pan. The rolls should be no more than inch apart. They will move closer as they rise, finally supporting each other and making the pale, soft sides characteristic of dinner rolls of this type. The object now is to have them just the right distance apart so that the risen roll is a nicely domed cube when it is finished rising and baking. Placed too close together, the rolls will be tall and narrow, and probably hard to separate. If they are too far apart, their sides won't rise together, and the rolls will be flattish and crusty. When you make larger rolls, they will do best s.p.a.ced slightly farther apart; for smaller rolls, place them closer together. Smaller rolls, since they don't rise as much, take proportionately more pan s.p.a.ce. Nine large rolls fill an 8 8 inch pan with one loaf's worth of dough; fifteen smaller ones are just right in a 9 8 inch pan with one loaf's worth of dough; fifteen smaller ones are just right in a 9 13 pan, from the same amount of dough. For other shapes, see the next pages. 13 pan, from the same amount of dough. For other shapes, see the next pages.

PROOFING.

Let rise in a warm, humid place, 95F, being careful not to expose the rolls to drafts. They should have a full proof. Since they are smaller than a loaf of bread and well-supported, they won't fall and can tolerate a much fuller proof than loaf bread can, and still rise in the oven.

BAKING.

A most annoying problem in baking rolls is to have them get too hard on the bottom from uneven heat in the oven. Most often you can avoid this by using thick, shiny pans and not putting them on the bottom rack. Also helpful is to protect the rolls by putting a second baking sheet underneath the one the rolls are on. Be sure to take a peek after about 15 minutes so that you can reverse or rotate the pans if necessary (or maybe even take the rolls out, if they have baked in that short time).

The object is to have the rolls brown nicely without drying out. The two-ounce rolls we have described will bake in about 20 minutes in a preheated 400F oven, but especially if they are exceptionally light, they may be ready sooner, so keep an eye on them. Smaller rolls, or fancy shapes that are spread out on their baking sheet, also take less time-and a slightly higher oven heat as well. The bigger the roll, the longer the bake and the lower the temperature.

Making Fancy Shapes For other shapes, follow the suggestions for washing and b.u.t.tering the crusts that were given above. We don't use the egg wash on fancy shapes, as a general rule, just brush them with b.u.t.ter; if they are fragile, brush them only after after baking. baking.

THINGS TO WATCH.

Small, thin parts bake more quickly than thick parts; keep the sizes even for each roll and pan of rolls so you can avoid burning part while trying to get the rest cooked through. When baking a great artistic masterpiece worked in dough or little creatures shaped by a child, tiny parts can be protected to some extent by foil once they are brown.

Be careful, whatever the nature of your rolls, not to overbake them. Overbaking is the easiest pitfall with rolls, and what a pity to ruin them at the last, after all that work.

CLOVERLEAF The simplest and maybe the most surefire. Grease a m.u.f.fin tin and into each cup drop three smooth one-inch b.a.l.l.s of dough. These can be decorated with poppy or sesame seeds. The simplest and maybe the most surefire. Grease a m.u.f.fin tin and into each cup drop three smooth one-inch b.a.l.l.s of dough. These can be decorated with poppy or sesame seeds.

FAN-TANS Probably too rich for anyone's good. Roll the dough thin ( inch), brush with softened b.u.t.ter, and cut into 1 -inch strips. Pile the strips on top of each other about 5 high and cut into squares. Place on edge in m.u.f.fin pans. When they have risen, they will be the shape of a m.u.f.fin with the shadow of five b.u.t.tery slices. This one is tricky, but even if they aren't perfect, they will be gone in no time. Chill dough before shaping if you're serious about elegant results. Probably too rich for anyone's good. Roll the dough thin ( inch), brush with softened b.u.t.ter, and cut into 1 -inch strips. Pile the strips on top of each other about 5 high and cut into squares. Place on edge in m.u.f.fin pans. When they have risen, they will be the shape of a m.u.f.fin with the shadow of five b.u.t.tery slices. This one is tricky, but even if they aren't perfect, they will be gone in no time. Chill dough before shaping if you're serious about elegant results.

The following shapes start with a snake of dough. For the smoothest snakes and the best final results, begin with a ball of dough larger than a golf ball and smaller than a tennis ball. Roll it on a lightly floured board under first one and then both palms, working from the center outward to the ends, over and over. Don't let the dough fold or twist, and try not to let it dry out or tear, either.

BOWKNOTS Roll each portion of dough into a smooth snake about inch thick and about 10 inches long. Flour the board to keep the dough from sticking to itself. Tie in a simple knot, loosely, and place on a greased sheet. Fast, easy, and pretty. Roll each portion of dough into a smooth snake about inch thick and about 10 inches long. Flour the board to keep the dough from sticking to itself. Tie in a simple knot, loosely, and place on a greased sheet. Fast, easy, and pretty.