1. Dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 3 tablespoons water in a large mixing bowl. When the mixture is foamy (5 to 10 minutes), stir in the remaining water and sugar, the oil, and all but 1 tablespoon of the beaten eggs. Beat the remaining 1 tablespoon egg with a pinch of salt to make an egg glaze. Set aside in the refrigerator.

2. Stir the 2 teaspoons salt and the flour, 1 cup at a time, into the liquid ingredients, to obtain a dough that is stiff enough to pull away from the sides of the bowl, but soft enough to knead. The dough can also be mixed and kneaded in a mixer fitted with a dough hook or in a food processor fitted with the dough blade.

3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, 6 to 8 minutes, adding flour as necessary, to obtain a soft dough that is pliable but not sticky. It will be a little moister than regular bread dough.

4. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down the dough.

5. Form the rolls: Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each on the work surface with the palm of your hand to form a tube 5 inches long with tapered ends. Transfer the rolls to lightly greased baking sheets, leaving 3 inches between each.

6. Cover the rolls with a dampened cotton dish towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. (The rolls can be allowed to rise at a lower temperature - even in the refrigerator - but the rising time will be 3 to 4 hours.)

7. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

8. Brush the rolls with the reserved egg glaze and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the rolls until golden brown and hollow sounding when lightly tapped, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the rolls from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Brush the tops with melted butter, if using. Serve warm or cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

Recipe is from _Miami Spice_ by Steven Raichlen.