Poetry

I couldn't let National Poetry Month pass without a poem or two on the literary form. If I connect with a poem, I see beauty, truth, and empathy in its simplest, purest form. Or, put another way, here is what poetry is to me:

Some People Think

James Laughlin

poetry should be a-

dorned or complicated I'm

not so sure I think I'll

take the simple statement

in plain speech compress-

ed to brevity I think that

will do all I want to do.

Poetry Is

Poetry is written in a conversation between the heart and the mind, when the

Work of the dual authorship pours forth like a river spilling over its banks,

Breaking the damn of intuition with each breath, each beat, each impulse until

A part of you is covered in the mud of experiences, emotions, ideas and

Flooded with sparse wording on the pathway to eternity, the topography of truth.

*****

Certainly, one could say brioche is the poetry of food. Not only does the word, French in origin, roll off the tongue but these rolls will melt in your mouth. They are rich and decadent due to the eggs and butter. You may prepare these rolls in their traditional form (with a small ball of dough on top) or in their simplest shape to suit you.

Brioche Rolls

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

½ cup lukewarm (90-to-110-degrees F) water

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

½ cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

4 eggs

¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, beaten

Coarse sea salt, if desired

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together yeast and water. Set aside until yeast becomes active and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
3. Combine flours, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attached. Add yeast mixture and stir well to combine. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, mixing well with each addition. Add butter and knead until all ingredients well combined.
4. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead with the heels of your hands until dough comes together to be smooth and soft, about 5 minutes.
5. Place dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with a kitchen towel. Set in a warm place to rise until dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour.
6. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece firmly into a smooth, well-formed ball and place on the prepared pan, spaced equally apart. Cover loosely and let rise until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
7. Brush tops of rolls with egg wash. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.
8. Bake at 375°F until rolls are a deep golden brown color, about 20 minutes.
9. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 1 dozen rolls