Even more than the Italians, the Spanish eat sweet breads for breakfast. I like these in mid-afternoon—they are great with tea—but suit yourself. These rich rolls don’t keep especially well, so if twenty-four is too many for you, divide the recipe in half or freeze half the dough before baking; it will keep well for up to a month.

　　

Ingredients

makes 15 to 20 small rolls

　　3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more as needed

　　2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast, such as SAF

　　2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt

　　3/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

　　4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold butter

　　3 eggs

　　About 3/4 cup milk

　　Softened butter as needed

　　Melted butter as needed

　　

Step 1

Combine the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and butter in a food processor. Pulse the machine on and off until the butter is cut throughout the flour. Add the eggs and pulse a few more times. With the machine running, slowly add 1/2 cup of the milk through the feed tube.

　　

Step 2

Process for about 30 seconds, adding more milk if necessary, a little at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is quite sticky to the touch, almost too sticky to handle. Put the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rise until nearly doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours. Proceed to step 3 or wrap some or all of the dough tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to a month. (Defrost in a covered bowl in the refrigerator or at room temperature.)

　　

Step 3

When the dough is ready, divide it into 15 to 20 pieces; use lightly buttered or oiled hands to roll each piece into a round ball, pinching the seam closed as well as you can. Place the balls on a buttered baking sheet or muffin tins. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel while you preheat the oven to 350°F; set a rack in the middle of the oven.

　　

Step 4

Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter, then sprinkle with sugar and put in the oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and glossy. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, within a day.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.