It makes about 15 rolls
1 package (1 Tbs.) dry yeast
1 cup warm buttermilk
1 Tbs. brown sugar
¼ tsp. baking soda
1½ cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. butter, melted
Dissolve the yeast in the warm buttermilk and stir in the brown sugar and baking soda. Put this mixture aside for a few minutes, until it starts to foam and bubble.
Sift together the whole wheat flour, white flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir about 1 cup of this into the yeast mixture, then stir in the melted butter and beat with a wooden spoon for a few minutes. Gradually add as much of the remaining flour as you can stir in, then sprinkle the rest onto a large board. Turn the dough out onto it and begin kneading. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, working in only as much flour as is necessary to keep it from sticking. Form the dough into a ball and put it in a buttered bowl, turning it over once.
Cover the bowl with a tea towel, and leave it in a warm place to rise until the dough has doubled in size. Punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured board.
Roll the dough out to a thick rectangle about 14 to 15 inches long and 6 to 8 inches wide. Cut it crosswise into inch-wide strips. Take a strip, twist the ends around in opposite directions a couple of times, then tie it in a simple knot and loosely tuck under the ends. Form all the rolls this way (or any way you like if you have a preference!) and arrange them several inches apart on a buttered baking sheet.
Cover them lightly with a tea towel and leave them to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, or until they have nearly doubled in size. Bake the rolls for 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 425 degrees.
