Paste for Finger Rolls and Small Rolls

The ingredients are one pound of flour, two eggs, three-quarters of a gill of milk, salt, two ounces of butter, half an ounce each of sugar and yeast. Make a little leaven with a quarter of the flour and the yeast, diluting it with a little warm water; leave this in a vessel, cover and place in a temperate place so that it rises to double its height. Lay the balance of the flour on the table; make a hollow in the center and in this put a pinch of salt, the sugar and a little tepid milk, then the eggs and mix, drawing in the flour gradually and adding the rest of the tepid milk. When all is mixed bring the dough together and knead it well, striking it on the table for a few minutes (the object of this being to incorporate as much air as possible in the paste); when the paste has plenty of body add half the butter to it and continue the kneading until the butter is well worked in, then add the rest of the butter and knead again, working the paste a few minutes longer. Now put in the leaven, mixing it lightly with the dough, set into a vessel, cover with a cloth, and let it rise in a moderate temperature. As soon as this dough is sufficiently raised divide it into pieces of a pound each; roll out these into ropes half an inch in diameter, and dividing these ropes into twenty equal-sized parts give each one a round shape by rolling them on the table with the palm of the hand; roll them out to the shape of small rolls two and three-quarters inches long, pointed at both ends, and lay them on a slightly buttered baking sheet, keeping them about one inch apart, then leave them to rise in a gentle temperature. As soon as they are sufficiently raised brush them over with beaten eggs twice, and bake in a warm oven.