1 loaf Italian bread, sliced

1 stick butter, softened

4 teaspoons garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Mix butter, minced garlic and Italian seasoning.  Spread over each slice of italian bread.  Arrange on baking sheet with buttered side up.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until bread is lightly toasted. 

8  Servings

9 tablespoons olive oil, divided use

3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsifted semolina flour

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 1/2 tablespoons quick-rising dry yeast

1 1/2 cups hot milk (between 120 to 130 degrees F)

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

Pour a 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil into a 9-inch square cake pan; spread to cover bottom and sides.

Place all-purpose flour, semolina flour, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and all of the yeast in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook or you can mix by hand.

Mix ingredients on medium speed. Reduce speed to low and slowly add hot milk. Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing for 5 minutes, then knead about 10 minutes by hand. 

Dust the bottom of cake pan with a little flour. Remove dough from bowl and spread out evenly in pan. Cover with a towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400º F.  Remove towel and brush dough with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Dust the top with additional salt and rosemary.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining oil.

4  cups all-purpose flour

1  package active dry yeast

1  cup milk

1/4  cup sugar

1/4  cup margarine or butter

1/2  teaspoon salt

3   egg yolks

1   slightly beaten egg yolk

1  tablespoon water

In a large mixing bowl combine 1-1/2 cups of the flour and the yeast; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir the milk, sugar, margarine or butter, and salt just until warm (120º to 130ºF) and margarine almost melts. Add to the flour mixture. Then add the 3 egg yolks. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. 

On a lightly floured surface, knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour). 

Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Then divide each half into 12 pieces. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, grease baking sheets. To shape rolls, roll each piece into a 12- inch rope. Tie in a loose knot. Tuck top end under the roll. Then bring bottom end up and tuck it into center of roll. Place 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double (about 30 minutes). 

Brush rolls with a mixture of one egg yolk and water. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Remove rolls from baking sheets and cool on a wire rack. Makes 24 rolls. 

*Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare rolls as directed; cool completely. Place rolls in a single layer in a freezer container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Before serving, thaw at room temperature about 2 hours.  

1 package yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup milk, scalded

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons shortening

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 egg

*Richer version: increase either the shortening or sugar or both to 1/4 cup

Soften dry yeast in warm water..  combine milk, shortening, sugar and salt; cool to lukewarm.  Add 1 cup of the flour; beat well.  Beat in softened yeast and egg.  Gradually add remaining flour to form soft dough, beating well.  Cover and let rise in warm place (82) til double, about 1 1/2 hr to 2 hours.  Turn out on lightly floured surface and shape as desired.

To make cloverleaf rolls, shape dough into small balls.  Three should half fill a greased muffin cup.  Brush with melted butter.  Let double (25-30 minutes).  Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Makes about 24 rolls.

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup shortening

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, softened

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Stir in sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in remaining flour until smooth. Scrape dough from side of bowl. Knead dough, then cover it and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1-1/2 hours).  

Punch down dough. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch circle. Spread with butter. Cut into 10 to 15 wedge. Roll up the wedges starting with the wide end. Place rolls with point under on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour).

Bake at 400º F for 12-15 minute or until golden brown. Brush tops with butter when they come out.

30  Servings