SNAILS Roll the snake into a pinwheel. Roll the snake into a pinwheel.

BRAIDS Use the method to make a tidy braid out of one snake about 18 inches long, or braid three thin strands and tuck the ends under. Use the method to make a tidy braid out of one snake about 18 inches long, or braid three thin strands and tuck the ends under.

PALMLEAF Roll the 18-inch snake halfway, and begin from the other end to meet halfway. This is traditional, but I can't imagine why they call them palmleaves. (In New York, they're called b.u.t.terflies-a little more descriptive.) Roll the 18-inch snake halfway, and begin from the other end to meet halfway. This is traditional, but I can't imagine why they call them palmleaves. (In New York, they're called b.u.t.terflies-a little more descriptive.) Use your imagination. Any shape is viable so long as there is not too much difference between the thin part and the thick part.

Breadsticks, etc.

If you can give up a small wad of your dough when you are shaping, any kid from the toddler stage on up will love making a shape to bake, be inordinately proud of the result-and delighted to eat it, too. When baking such works of art, keep in mind that the tiny thin parts will tend to burn, while large lumps take much longer to bake. You can shield small parts with foil once they brown, to protect them from burning.

Even when they can't have a direct part in the process, grade schoolers are thrilled to come home to your bready rendering of their initials, or a favorite animal you've softly sculptured and baked especially for them. On a more mundane and practical level, the manageability of small soft-crusty breads makes life easier for very young ones whose tiny hands are relatively new to the eating game. (Eaters who have been at it for many years also appreciate breadsticks, incidentally, especially alongside a hearty minestrone soup.) You can make 12 soft foot-long breadsticks out of a loaf's worth of risen dough. Rolled in sesame or poppy seeds, they provide a chewy, toothsome accent to a light meal. If sesame and poppy are getting ho hum, try caraway or fennel, or, more daring, whole c.u.min seeds, spicy-hot.

To shape, divide the dough into 12 parts, form b.a.l.l.s and roll into snakes. Place side by side on a greased cookie sheet, allowing room for them to double in girth. Let rise until a gentle touch makes an indentation that fills in slowly; bake at 325F until lightly brown, usually about hour, preferably not near the bottom of the oven. Let them cool somewhat before removing from the sheet. For crisper breadsticks, roll them thinner and bake at very low heat for as long as an hour.

Dinner Rolls for Aunt Agatha - 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ( oz or 7 g) - 1 cup warm water (235 ml) - 3 tablespoons honey (45 ml) - 1 cup b.u.t.termilk (235 ml) - 1 egg - 5 cups finely ground whole wheat bread flour (750 g) - 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (150 g) - 2 teaspoons salt (11 g) - cup cool b.u.t.ter (56 g) Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.

Mix the honey, b.u.t.termilk, and egg, stirring until smooth.

Stir the flours and salt together in a bowl, making a well in the center. Add the yeast and the other liquids, mixing from the center to make the dough. Knead about 12 minutes, until the dough is smooth and supple. If necessary, add water by moistening your hands as you knead-the dough should be very soft. Press the b.u.t.ter into a smear on the tabletop, and gradually knead it in, working until the dough is l.u.s.trous and utterly silky.

Let rise in a covered container at warm-room temperature for about 2 hours, or until your wetted finger makes a hole that does not fill in. Deflate the dough carefully, keeping the smooth top surface intact. Let rise again, perhaps a little warmer, for about 1 hour, until the dough once again does not fill in your test poke-hole.

Turn out on a lightly floured kneading surface, and deflate. If you will be making all the dough into rolls, divide it into four equal pieces. (If you don't need so many rolls, half of the recipe can be rounded and then shaped into a regular loaf.) Form the dough into b.a.l.l.s, keeping the gluten film, the smooth surface, unbroken.

Cover the rounded pieces of dough with an inverted bowl or damp cloth to prevent them from drying out while you work. Let the dough rest until the first ball is relaxed, soft and pliable-this step is especially important here. Gently press the soft dough flat; cut in half, then in threes. Form one round roll out of each piece, trying hard to keep the smooth surface intact. Repeat the process with all the rest of the dough, placing the rolls in greased m.u.f.fin cups, or about inch apart in a greased baking dish.

Ideally, you would want a shiny thick aluminum bun pan measuring 11 16 to fit 24 such rolls-but two Pyrex dishes (8 16 to fit 24 such rolls-but two Pyrex dishes (8 8 and 9 8 and 9 13) would be fine, or a large cookie sheet. If you have extra s.p.a.ce on your pan, rather than spread the rolls out, cl.u.s.ter them the suggested inch apart so that they will rise and bake properly. Prevent the grease on the unused s.p.a.ce on the pan from burning by dusting it generously with cornmeal or rolled oats or flour. 13) would be fine, or a large cookie sheet. If you have extra s.p.a.ce on your pan, rather than spread the rolls out, cl.u.s.ter them the suggested inch apart so that they will rise and bake properly. Prevent the grease on the unused s.p.a.ce on the pan from burning by dusting it generously with cornmeal or rolled oats or flour.

Cover and let the shaped rolls rise in a very warm place. To prevent them from drying out and forming a tough top crust that can't bake nicely, keep a pan of hot water near them while they rise, or seal the rising rolls in a puffed-up plastic bag that has been rinsed out with hot water. Let them have plenty of time to rise: as much as 45 minutes or an hour, even, until they show slight signs of sagging, then pop them in a preheated 400F oven for about 20 minutes-just until they are beautifully brown. If the rolls have risen particularly well, they may bake even faster. Brush them with melted b.u.t.ter, just after baking.

If you can't plan to serve them immediately, let the rolls cool, seal tight, and store them in the refrigerator. Warm them for 15 to 20 minutes before serving, wrapped lightly in a damp towel so that they won't dry out. An alternative is to make a brown-and-serve version: bake the rolls the first time for half an hour at 275F so that they cook but do not brown. To serve, preheat the oven to 450F and bake the rolls about 15 minutes, or just until nicely brown. Be careful (yawn) not to overbake.

Buns For making buns, any high-rising bread dough will do, but preferably not one that has a fermentation longer than the normal 4-hour dough. Basic Bread, b.u.t.termilk Bread, Egg Bread, Featherpuff, Brian's Bread, or Soymilk Bread would all be good choices. If convenient, use no more than 1 tablespoon of sweetener per loaf unless you like really sweet buns. Prepare the dough as usual, covering and letting it rise twice, then rounding it into loaf-sized b.a.l.l.s to rest before shaping.

As soon as one of the big b.a.l.l.s has relaxed, press it out into an oblong about one inch thick. Cut this into six pieces as equal as possible, and round each of them into a little ball. Work on the b.a.l.l.s one after another in order, covering them with a damp towel or an inverted bowl to prevent their drying out while they are resting. Use a little flour on the board as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.

If you were making rolls, you would simply set the b.a.l.l.s to rise, and when they were baked, they would be round, even vaguely spherical, puffs-at once too tall and too small to put around a soyburger! To render these round rolls into proper buns, all that is necessary is to press the shaped dough flat with a rolling pin (or your hand) so that they are as big around as you want the finished bun to be: they will rise up, but not out. so that they are as big around as you want the finished bun to be: they will rise up, but not out. Work quickly but gently, being careful not to tear the smooth surface of the dough as you roll it out; aim to flatten but Work quickly but gently, being careful not to tear the smooth surface of the dough as you roll it out; aim to flatten but not squash not squash the dough. If you want seeds on the buns, sprinkle the tabletop with the seed of your choice before you start rolling each one, and turn it once in the rolling process. the dough. If you want seeds on the buns, sprinkle the tabletop with the seed of your choice before you start rolling each one, and turn it once in the rolling process.

When you have them all lined up on their greased baking sheet, ready to rise for the last time, they will look fairly unpromising, flat as pancakes and nearly the same size. Still, have faith. Cover and put them in a warm humid place to rise, and give them plenty of time: they can proof until they feel very spongy, and a gently made indentation doesn't fill in at all.

Preheat the oven so that when they are ready, it will be ready too, at 400F, if possible. (If you have a loaf of bread to bake at the same time, the bread's temperature will do well enough for the buns, but they'll take a little longer, and be a little drier.) Bake the buns in the top half of the oven so that they will stay soft on the bottom.

Put a small pan of boiling water in the bottom of the oven for the first ten minutes. Bake until the buns are a pretty golden brown all over, about 20 minutes. (If you want to bake two pans at a time, on two racks, place a third cookie sheet under the pan on the lower rack to help protect it from too much bottom heat. Even so, you may want to reverse them midway.) These buns are substantial, each one containing about as much bread as two slices of loaf bread. As your technique improves, you may want to include less dough in each bun: in that case, they will be flatter than pancakes when rolled out, and only your perfected technique will insure that they will attain a wonderful puffy lightness when finished. Still, given that we are home bakers and don't have the sophisticated equipment of the factory that makes supermarket buns, ours may not be quite so high or so fluffy as the supermarket variety. They will more than make up for it in flavor, though, that's for sure.

Hot Cross Buns - 2 cups raisins (300 g) - 1 cup dried apricots (130 g) - 1 cup walnuts (120 g), or use filberts or other flavorful nuts, chopped - 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ( oz or 7 g) - cup warm water (120 ml) - 6 cups finely ground whole wheat bread flour (900 g) - 2 teaspoons salt (11 g) - 2 large eggs, beaten (some set aside) - 3 tablespoons honey (45 ml) - 1 cup water, very hot (235 ml) - 1 cup cold b.u.t.termilk (235 ml) - more water as required cup b.u.t.ter (56 g), room temperature We love to serve these Easter breakfast, when there is a vast crowd of people to please, because the pleasing is certain, and there is not much fuss that morning-just warming the buns and maybe making a splendid fruit salad.

As usual, we have subst.i.tuted natural ingredients for the traditional candied fruits, with results that to us seem far superior both in taste and appeal.

Prepare the fruit: steam the raisins briefly, drain and cool. Either steam or bake the dried apricots so that they are about as soft-firm as the raisins. Chop apricots to the size of raisins. Toast the nuts lightly and chop them into similarly raisin-sized pieces.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and set aside. Mix the flour and the salt in a bowl, making a well in the center.

Break the eggs into a small bowl and beat them slightly, setting aside about three tablespoons to use for egg wash later. (If you forget to save some out, or someone gives it to the cat, just use another egg for the wash.) In a separate bowl, mix the honey and the hot water and add the b.u.t.termilk; stir in the beaten eggs.

Pour the liquids and the yeast into the well in the flour and mix, then knead. Keep your hands wet as you work the stiff, sticky dough, letting it take in as much water as it requires to become soft and supple. When the dough is silky and elastic, add the b.u.t.ter in the French manner by smearing it on the tabletop and kneading until all the b.u.t.ter has been incorporated. Gently knead in the fruits and nuts a handful at a time.

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 check the dough to see how it is doing. Gently poke the center of the dough about inch deep with your wet finger. If the hole doesn't fill in at all, the dough is ready to deflate. Because of the weight of the rich ingredients, it may rise more slowly than you expect, so be prepared to give it a little extra time. This dough should rise very well indeed, but do keep an eye on it, and go on to the next step before the pressure of your finger-poke makes the dough sigh. Press out the acc.u.mulated gas, carefully shape the smooth round again, and let the dough rise once more, as before. The second rising time will be about half as long as the first.

While the dough is rising, plan your baking strategy. The dough for one recipe will make about 30 big buns, and will fill two 12 18 inch cookie sheets, three across, five down. Not everybody can claim two such pans or the oven s.p.a.ce to bake them together: you may need to bake in two stages-for example, to fill two 9 18 inch cookie sheets, three across, five down. Not everybody can claim two such pans or the oven s.p.a.ce to bake them together: you may need to bake in two stages-for example, to fill two 9 13 pans twice. Also, should you want to make smaller rolls (the recipe makes 60, very dainty)-you will need not only more pan s.p.a.ce, since little ones take more room, but also more shaping time. For staggered bakings, and/or extra shaping time, you can refrigerate the portion of the dough that you will not be able to shape within half an hour or so. If you have a scale, you can calculate all this very accurately, but whether you do or not, the dough is amazingly tolerant, and there is a lot of leeway. 13 pans twice. Also, should you want to make smaller rolls (the recipe makes 60, very dainty)-you will need not only more pan s.p.a.ce, since little ones take more room, but also more shaping time. For staggered bakings, and/or extra shaping time, you can refrigerate the portion of the dough that you will not be able to shape within half an hour or so. If you have a scale, you can calculate all this very accurately, but whether you do or not, the dough is amazingly tolerant, and there is a lot of leeway.

For estimating, the big buns weigh about 2 ounces each, and are a little larger than a golf ball when formed. It is useful to make the buns in straight rows, by the way, because if you do, making the crosses is lots easier.

We have not included cinnamon and other spices in the dough because they can damage the gluten and impede the rise; but traditionally, hot cross buns are flavored with a blend of winter spices. In this recipe the glaze is spiked with cinnamon and provides a mild spiciness, but if you would like more, sprinkle spices on the greased baking pans before putting the buns on them to proof. A tablespoon of cinnamon, teaspoon nutmeg, teaspoon cloves, plus cardamom and ginger, make a good mix. Put them in a shaker and use that to dust the pans lightly after they are greased.

Shape the dough into smooth b.a.l.l.s and arrange them in rows on the pan. The large ones should be about an inch apart; the small ones, half an inch. After After shaping, let the rolls rest until the dough relaxes, about 10 minutes, and then flatten them slightly with the bottom of a quart jar or with your palm. They don't need to be pancake flat like a regular bun, but if you don't press them down a little, they will be like little globes-less than ideal in this case. shaping, let the rolls rest until the dough relaxes, about 10 minutes, and then flatten them slightly with the bottom of a quart jar or with your palm. They don't need to be pancake flat like a regular bun, but if you don't press them down a little, they will be like little globes-less than ideal in this case.

- GLAZE: - 3 tablespoons honey (45 ml) - 1 tablespoon b.u.t.ter (14 g) - teaspoon cinnamon - White frosting, about 1 cup: optional (use any simple powdered-sugar type frosting)*

Let the buns rise in a warm, humid place for half an hour or more. Preheat the oven to 375F. Make the egg wash: use the reserved egg plus 1 tablespoons of water (or one egg plus the water it takes to fill half the sh.e.l.l); beat until smooth but not frothy. Just before the buns are ready to go into the oven, when gentle pressure of your wet finger fills in slowly, take a spatula or dough cutter and mark each bun with an indented cross, pressing down about halfway into the dough (pressing but not not cutting.) Brush with egg wash. Let the dough recover for a few minutes and then put the buns into the hot oven. cutting.) Brush with egg wash. Let the dough recover for a few minutes and then put the buns into the hot oven.

Make the glaze by bringing its ingredients to a boil; remove from the heat.

Check to make sure the buns are not burning on the bottom. If necessary, move the baking sheets around in the oven to insure an even bake.

Immediately after taking them out of the oven, brush the buns with the cinnamon-honey glaze, making sure to cover the whole surface of each one. After they cool, mark the cross again, this time with the white frosting.

The buns are splendid warmed up. The white frosting keeps itself together quite well through the rewarming, which is nice. This recipe is one of the all-time most acclaimed of our Fancy Traditionals, partly because it is so much fun to do, especially with two or more people working together.

English m.u.f.fins There are many legends about these favorites. A lot of people will tell you that they aren't English at all, that they are as American as French fries-but anyone who has dipped into Elizabeth David's fascinating English Breads and Yeast Cookery English Breads and Yeast Cookery knows that they knows that they were were made in England, even if they are no longer. Ms. David gives formulas down the centuries, and includes an old engraving of a gigantic griddle that was used to bake them in times past. made in England, even if they are no longer. Ms. David gives formulas down the centuries, and includes an old engraving of a gigantic griddle that was used to bake them in times past.

We have tried dozens of recipes, used rings, no rings; baked on griddles and in the oven-and feel pretty sure now that what follows is the best collection of secrets of success you can get, whichever flavor or style English m.u.f.fin you want.

There is a vast array of English m.u.f.fins on the market now in our part of the country. Only a few years ago, there was just one that was the real thing. In the old days, if you found yourself hungry in San Francisco with only a couple of coins, you could drop into the steamy warmth of any Foster's coffee shop and for a quarter get a cup of coffee and the best English m.u.f.fin in the world. It would be chewy, with big holes everywhere, toasted and dripping with b.u.t.ter. The flavor was a little sour, but not too sour, and very rich. It was everything you could want if you were really into English m.u.f.fins.

The popularity of Foster's m.u.f.fins grew and grew and-so the legend goes-the company at last moved out of its little dark bakery in the bas.e.m.e.nt of an old building in the city into a spiffy new place with all shiny new stainless-steel equipment Up To Code. The trouble was the tiny little guys, the unique yeasts and who-knows-what that made the m.u.f.fins what they were didn't go along. They were left behind, and lost forever. Wonderful Foster's is no more.

No, alas, we can't summon them back. But we can tell you how to make holey, moist, chewy m.u.f.fins out of whatever bread dough you think would make your ideal m.u.f.fin. Our favorite is Desem bread, but Sprout Bread, Overnight Starter Bread, or almost any recipe with character will do very nicely.

Follow these instructions to make English m.u.f.fins from your favorite bread recipe. Most any dough with character will do; these work beautifully:French Bread Flemish Desem Bread Overnight Started Bread Yeasted Sprout Bread After you knead the dough to perfection according to the recipe you choose, you can divide it and set aside half for making regular loaf bread, if you want to. In that case, with one loaf's worth of dough, you can make eight m.u.f.fins. The m.u.f.fin dough must be slightly overkneaded, and much wetter than regular bread dough, so keep wetting your hands as you work, and knead in as much water as you can. Stop when the dough is so soft that it is almost runny, and before the gluten falls apart. Finally, cover and set the dough to rise, following the instructions for whatever bread recipe you are making. The m.u.f.fin dough will rise more quickly than its stiffer bread counterpart, however, because it is so wet.

Divide each loaf's worth into eight equal pieces, and form each piece into as smooth a round as possible. Put the rounds on a very generously floured floured baking sheet, cover, and set it to proof in a warm place. The round b.a.l.l.s of dough will have sagged down to about one inch high when they're ready. Heat your griddle now. If the recipe you are using calls for more than a very little sweetener, the griddle should be only moderately hot, much cooler than you would use for pancakes, for example. Even with Desem or French or any other unsweetened dough, the griddle should be just about medium heat. If the griddle is too cool, all that will happen is that your m.u.f.fins will have an extra-chewy crust, and take a little longer to cook. Unless the griddle is hopelessly unseasoned you shouldn't need to grease it. baking sheet, cover, and set it to proof in a warm place. The round b.a.l.l.s of dough will have sagged down to about one inch high when they're ready. Heat your griddle now. If the recipe you are using calls for more than a very little sweetener, the griddle should be only moderately hot, much cooler than you would use for pancakes, for example. Even with Desem or French or any other unsweetened dough, the griddle should be just about medium heat. If the griddle is too cool, all that will happen is that your m.u.f.fins will have an extra-chewy crust, and take a little longer to cook. Unless the griddle is hopelessly unseasoned you shouldn't need to grease it.

With a wide pancake turner and a magician's sleight of hand, pick up the m.u.f.fins one at time and place them flour-side down on the hot griddle. Turn them after about 5 minutes, when they are brown on the bottom; turn them again when they are brown, and keep turning them at about 5-minute intervals to keep the crusts from burning. They are done when the sides, which will not brown, of course, are springy. If in doubt, split one open with a fork and eat it. Good, no? Traditional to toast them, of course, split (not cut) in half.

Troubleshooting English m.u.f.fins The next day the m.u.f.fin will be rather dramatically smaller than it was when you took it off the heat. We allowed enough dough for really big m.u.f.fins, so the shrinkage shouldn't be a problem, but if all else is fine, and you want them bigger, next time make seven.

If there aren't enough holes, and they aren't big enough for you, next time knead longer and add more water. If your dough was not kneaded fully in the first place, it may not have gotten overkneaded overkneaded, as it has to, during the second kneading. If all this seems a bit much, you can use a cup of pastry or rye flour in place of a cup of bread flour when you mix up the dough; this will require less kneading to develop its gluten fully. Or if you like sourdough m.u.f.fins, use a sourdough recipe; the sour will break down the gluten too.

If the inside looks a tad gray, the dough fermented too long. Next time take it up sooner. Wet dough ferments faster than proper bread dough.

Chapathis - 3 cups whole wheat flour, preferably freshly stone-ground (450 g) - 1 teaspoon salt (5.5 g) - 1 cups warm warm water (350 ml) water (350 ml) - USEFUL EQUIPMENT: - a rolling pin - a griddle - long thick oven mitts - a dish towel or other cloth, white linen or muslin - OR - long-handled tongs that are not sharp These wheaten breads are served all over India, particularly in the North-but they can be enjoyed anywhere in the world. For best flavor, make the dough with fresh stone-ground flour and give it some time to itself before it is cooked; but if need be, the breads can be prepared with whatever whole grain flour you have, and very quickly. Even considering their perhaps unfamiliar shape, they are the best fast bread we know.

Serve with curries or with peanut b.u.t.ter and honey or cheese and tomato or simply b.u.t.ter. Super!

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Slowly add the water, working it into the flour until the dough comes together. It should not be wet, but it should be soft. You can make it slightly stiff at first, then add water as required while you work the dough. Knead until very soft and silky, about 20 minutes. If possible, let the dough rest at room temperature for 4 hours or overnight; if you are in a hurry, make the chapathis right away.

Pinch the dough into about 12 b.a.l.l.s, golf-ball size. Keep them covered with a damp cloth while you first round each one smooth, and then, one at a time, flatten them with a rolling pin on a floured board, making them approximately 7 inches across. Don't roll the pin off the edge of the round or the chapathi's rim will get too thin. Shape them all, and stack with a little flour and waxed paper between. When you have only a couple to go, heat the griddle. It should be about pancake hot, a medium-high heat. If it is too hot, the chapathis will burn, but if too low, they won't puff up. Best of all is to work together with a friend, one rolling and the other baking.

Keep an inverted bowl over the uncooked breads while you bake them one by one so that they don't dry out.

If your griddle is not well-seasoned, put a thin film of oil on it to keep each chapathi from sticking. The chapathis leave flour on the griddle that will burn, so wipe it off as you go along. You will use the dish towel for pressing on the chapathi to encourage them to puff up, and if it is white it stays cooler; form it into a smooth wad that is easy to hold.

Place the first chapathi on the hot griddle and let it sit there for one second, then turn it over. Use the cloth to apply gentle but firm pressure to the top of the cooking chapathi. Concentrate most of your pressing on the area just inside, but not on, the edge. Press down hard, but don't let the cloth stick to the dough. The object is to help the chapathi form steam pockets; ideally it puffs up like a balloon, filled with its own steam. At first the bread may blister in just a few places. By pressing, you can enlarge these small bubbles. Turn the chapathi over as soon as the bottom browns lightly. It won't brown evenly, especially if it has made the steam pockets, but will be a pretty pattern of brown and beige. It is done when it is brown nicely on both sides, with no wet-pinkish areas.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL!In India, even the youngest cook can make chapathis, but we who did not learn these skills at our mother's knee will have some experimenting to do before we get the knack. Protect your hands with mitts and your arms with long sleeves, and go slowly at first.

If you have a gas stove that has a high flame, you could try a second cooking method that works better for some people. Instead of pressing the dough on the griddle, let the chapathi cook a few seconds on each side to set the surfaces, and then with tongs pick up the chapathi and hold it over the high open flame. If you are deft, it will balloon without burning.

These wonderful breads are best served immediately, but you can wrap them in towels and keep them warm in the oven until time to eat; don't let them dry out, though.

Roberta's Incredible Bagels - 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ( oz or 7 g) - cup warm water (60 ml) - 2 tablespoons non-diastatic malt syrup (30 ml) - 1 cup water (235 ml) - 5 cups whole wheat flour (730 g) - 2 teaspoons salt (12 g) - 1 cup water (300 ml) - cup malt syrup (80 ml) - 1 gallon boiling water (4 l) Fun to make, good to eat.

Soften the yeast in the warm water.

Dissolve the 2 tablespoons of malt syrup in 1 cup of water.

Mix the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and the malt mixture, and enough of the additional 1 cup water to make a fairly stiff dough.

Let this dough rise until double, covered to protect it from drying out. Put the water on to boil and dissolve the cup malt in it.

Grease a 12 18 cookie sheet, or 2 smaller ones. 18 cookie sheet, or 2 smaller ones.

Form the risen dough into three big b.a.l.l.s. Round each one, and let it rest until relaxed. Shape into bagels by this easy but very untraditional method.

Flatten the b.a.l.l.s one by one, and cut into four pieces. Shape each piece into a ball (round it by rolling under your cupped hand). Let the b.a.l.l.s rest briefly and then poke your thumb through their middles, twirling each new bagel on your thumb to enlarge the hole until it (the hole) is about 1 inches in diameter. Preheat the oven to 425F.

Let each bagel rest for about 5 minutes, then place it in the boiling malted water. Cook 2 or 3 at a time, and adjust the heat so that the water is simmering all the time. The bagels will sink, then rise in a few seconds-if they don't sink, they rested too long. No harm done, just turn over so that both sides get wet. After a minute in the water, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them an inch apart on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at once, about 35 minutes, turning the bagels over at the halfway point if they haven't browned evenly.

FANCY BAGELS: use sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sauteed minced onion (with or without garlic), caraway seeds. Either dip the boiled but unbaked bagel in the topping and place on cookie sheet with the coated side down or wash the tops of the bagels before baking with a mixture of beaten egg and 2 tablespoons water, then sprinkle with the chosen garnish. The wash makes even ungarnished bagels shiny and pretty.

Pocket Bread (Pita) In the last few years these nifty little breads have become a staple item, and they are available nearly everywhere. A balloon of crispy-soft bread, they are good for filling with anything to make a sandwich, whether it is the traditional falafel and sliced cuc.u.mbers, or more mundane things like soyspread and sprouts. Pita is tasty and doesn't get soggy, and furthermore, as our favorite two-year-old said the first time his sandwich came to him in a pocket, "Mommy! It didn't fall apart!"

Almost any plain bread dough can be used to make these, but we offer this recipe, which has been very reliable for us. Make it as it is written, or with twice the yeast and warmer water for a very fast rise. (If you go this route, you can easily have them on the table in 2 hours. Keep the rising dough at 90F.

SHAPING.

Once the dough has risen, the rolling and shaping are easy; the trick is in getting the baking just right. The breads actually cook inside from the steam they generate as they puff in the oven, so they don't brown much on top. Depending on your oven, it may take a little experimentation to adjust the heat and paraphernalia to make sure that the pockets get enough bottom heat that they puff, but not so much that they burn.

BAKING.

If you have a gas stove, you can bake pita on the floor of the oven or on a heavy cookie sheet (not Teflon) on the oven floor. Preheat the cookie sheet along with the oven. Electric stoves are trickier. It's best to heat the oven from the bottom only, so in Laurel's Kitchen Laurel's Kitchen we suggested snapping the top heating element out. Then we received an angry letter from a woman who had been making the bread for her dinner party, and in snapping out the top element, had blown out her stove's electrical system. If your top element is not made to snap out, we suggested snapping the top heating element out. Then we received an angry letter from a woman who had been making the bread for her dinner party, and in snapping out the top element, had blown out her stove's electrical system. If your top element is not made to snap out, leave it in. leave it in. Try shielding the baking pockets from top heat by putting another cookie sheet on the very top rack under the top element. A well-heated oven stone or tiles can give the immediate bottom heat that is the secret of puffy pockets. Try shielding the baking pockets from top heat by putting another cookie sheet on the very top rack under the top element. A well-heated oven stone or tiles can give the immediate bottom heat that is the secret of puffy pockets.

Pocket Bread Recipe - 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ( oz or 7 g) - cup warm water (120 ml) - 6 cups whole wheat bread flour (900 g) - 2 teaspoons salt (14 g) - 2 cups water (590 ml) - OPTIONAL: - 1 tablespoon honey (15 ml) - 2 tablespoons non-diastatic malt syrup (30 ml) - cup sesame oil (60 ml) Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.

Mix the flour and the salt and make a well in the center. If you are using the sweeteners and oil, stir them into the 2 cups water; pour the liquids and yeast into the well in the flour, and stir from the center outward, making a smooth batter. Fold in the rest of the flour and mix thoroughly. Check to see whether the dough requires more water or flour, and add what is needed to make a soft dough. Knead very well.

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.

Preheat the oven to 450F when the second rising time is nearly finished. Turn out the risen dough and press flat on the board. Divide it into 20 to 24 pieces and shape them into smooth rounds. This will make pockets about six inches across; you can make them larger or smaller, of course. Let the rounds rest ten minutes or longer until they are quite soft. Protect them from drafts to keep the surface of the dough from drying out. This is essential. This is essential.

Use as much flour on the board as you need to keep the dough from sticking. Roll about five of the rounds into flat circles about as thick as a heavy wool blanket and six inches across. If they are too thick, they will make nice buns but they won't puff; if they are too thin, or if you are too rough with the rolling pin, they will puff in places, but won't balloon up. Put the rolled breads on the floor of the hot oven, or on the cookie sheet or tiles or what have you, and close the door.

Start rolling out a few more, but don't get distracted: check the breads in the oven in three minutes. They should have puffed by then, and may have browned a little on the bottom. If so, open one and check to see if the insides are done. They will be moist, but shouldn't look shiny-wet. If you think they need a little more time, you can bake them a bit more on the top rack while the next batch bakes on the bottom of the oven. Don't let them get crisp, though, or brown, because they will break when you fill them. The steam inside them bakes them extremely fast, and they will stay soft and flexible when cool. From here on out, work as efficiently as you can. The trickiest part is not to let the breads burn. Adjust your oven heat up and down as necessary.

NOTE: The honey, malt syrup, and oil are included for flavor only, and breads made without any of them puff at least as well as those made with them-maybe better.

Sicilian Pizza - BREAD - 1 teaspoon honey (5 ml) - 2 cups warm water (590 ml) - 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ( oz or 7 g) - 1 tablespoon salt (16.5 g) - 6 cups whole wheat flour (900 g) - 2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml) - cup warm water (120 ml) This is a dinner bread rather than pizza as we usually think of it. The piquant sauce makes added cheese or b.u.t.ter quite superfluous.

Dissolve the honey in the 2 cups warm water, and stir in the yeast.