Rub one half cupful of butter into eight cupfuls of sifted flour, then add half a cake of compressed yeast dissolved in three cupfuls of scalded milk. Let rise two hours. Work into the sponge one cupful of sugar, one cupful of cleaned currants, and half a nutmeg grated. Knead, shape into buns, arrange in pans, score deeply with a cross, brush with butter, and let rise fifteen minutes. Bake forty-five minutes in a brisk oven. This is the genuine English recipe, and the buns are good at any time, but the cross is made only on Good Friday, or for Easter.
RISEN MUSH MUFFINS
One cupful of hominy, cerealine, corn-meal mush, oatmeal, rice, or other left-over cooked cereal, one teaspoonful of butter, one tablespoonful of sugar, one pinch of salt, one fourth of a cake of yeast (compressed) dissolved in one cupful of scalded milk, and two cupfuls of sifted flour. Mix thoroughly and let rise over night. In the morning, beat well and fill well-buttered muffin-pans half full. Let rise until double in bulk, then bake half an hour.
FINGER ROLLS
Mix one cupful of scalded milk with one tablespoonful of butter. When cool, add a teaspoonful of sugar, a pinch of salt, and one half cake of yeast dissolved in half a cupful of warm water. Add enough flour to make a soft dough—about three cupfuls. Mix thoroughly, knead for fifteen minutes, and set to rise in a warm place for three or four hours. When light, knead again, shape into balls, and roll into cylinders on a floured board, pointing the ends. Arrange in a shallow pan, and let rise until double in size—about an hour—glaze with beaten egg, and bake fifteen minutes in a hot oven.
SOUTHERN ROLLS
Six cupfuls of flour, two eggs, one cake of compressed yeast, one cupful of milk, two tablespoonfuls of lard, melted, and a teaspoonful of salt. Mix as other sponges, let rise five hours, knead, shape into rolls, let rise two hours longer, and bake about twenty minutes.
FRENCH ROLLS
Eight cupfuls of flour, four eggs, four teaspoonfuls of sugar, one tablespoonful of butter, one cake of compressed yeast dissolved in two cupfuls of milk. Mix like other sponges, let rise until light, knead, shape, let rise the second time, and bake in a moderate oven.