Mustacei (Must Roles)

The inspiration for this recipe is truly ancient, the basic approach is attributed to Cato the Elder's De Agri Cultura (160 BC). My son and I made these for his 8th grade Latin class. Amounts approximate.

Prep time: 10 minutes (not including rising time)

Cook time: 10 minutes

Yield: 15-20 rolls

4 cups flour

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. yeast

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 cup cherry juice

1 ¼ cups warm water

3 TB butter, melted

Bay leaves

In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients, incorporate liquid ingredients and stir for 2 minutes to create the dough. If it is too dry, add more warm water. Scrape dough onto the countertop, cover with the bowl, and allow to rise for an hour. Knead several times, folding it over upon itself, and allow to rise for a further 45 minutes. Knead again, separate dough into balls about the size of a golf ball or a little bigger. Arrange on a floured baking tray, each dough ball on top of a bay leaf. Rise for 45 minutes, turning the oven on during that time to preheat to 400. Bake for 10 minutes or until the exterior is nicely tan and firm.