Add the remaining sugar, warm milk, salt and butter.

Mix in 2-1/2 cups of the flour and beat until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in about 2 cups more flour to make a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a board or pastry cloth coated with some of the remaining flour. Knead until the dough is smooth and satiny and small bubbles form just under the surface (8 to 10 minutes). Add only enough additional flour to prevent dough from being sticky. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour), or refrigerate until doubled (8 to 24 hours).

Punch dough down. Knead into a smooth ball. Cover with an inverted bowl and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape into rolls of the desired shape [below]. Place on either lightly greased, or dusted with cornmeal baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to double in size (30 to 45 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 400º. Brush rolls lightly with melted butter. Bake until golden-brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. If desired, brush warm rolls with a little more butter.

Bowknots: Divide dough into 24 equal pieces. Roll each with your hands on a lightly floured surface to make a strand 6-inches long. Tie loosely into a knot. Place on lightly greased sheets.

Parker House Rolls: Roll dough out to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Brush with melted butter. Cut into 2-1/2 to 3-inch diameter circles. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to make a depression just off center of a circle. Fold along the depression and place on a greased baking sheet with the larger portion on top.

Cloverleaf Rolls: Pinch off pieces of dough and shape into 1-inch balls. Dip each into melted butter, then place three balls in each cup of a greased 2-1/2-inch muffin pan.

Fantans: Roll dough out to about 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured board. Brush with melted better. Cut the dough into strips 1-inch wide. Stack 6 strips on top of one another. Cut stacked strips into 1-1/2-inch pieces. Place each stack horizontally in a cup of a greased muffin pan.