In a mixing bowl, blend together yeast, 1 cup flour, sugar, and salt. Heat milk and butter to 120º to 130ºF; butter does not need to melt. Add to dry mixture; blend on low speed. Beat 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed. Add eggs; beat 1 minute. By hand, stir in baking powder, baking soda, and enough remaining flour to make a smooth, very soft, sticky dough. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl. Cover; let rise until dough tests ripe.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; punch down to remove air bubbles. Divide dough into 4 parts. Divide each part into 2 pieces. Divide each piece into 3 sections. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Place on greased baking sheet. Cover; let rise until indentation remains after touching. Bake in preheated 375ºF oven 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter if desired. Remove from pan; cool.

You can substitute Instant (fast-rising) yeast for Active Dry Yeast. Traditional methods- replace 1:1. Expect your dough to rise faster; always let your dough rise until ‘ripe’. Bread Machines- use 1/2 tsp Instant yeast (or 3/4 tsp Active Dry yeast) per cup of flour in your recipe. Visit our Lessons in Yeast & Baking for more information.