Improvisation is the key to success

For some reason I don't like defining weight by cups. The authors of the recipes may use different cups and I can never be sure if I use theirs. I prefer clear and unequivocal grams and mililiters. With one exception: my own handful, pinch or a little.

Once you get some knowledge you can use it to develop new ideas. This is how I work with my breads. Almost always I keep in my fridge fresh yeast and rye sourdough. At least once a week I look through my cupboard to choose a new aroma for a new bread. This can be onion, sage, mixed peppers, soy sauce or even chocolate liqueur.

Last time I chose coriander seeds which are the dry fruits of the herb called also cilantro or Chinese parsley. Being an ignorant I just liked the name. I haven't thought that its name can be derived from the Mycenaean princess Ariadne, that it already appeared in the Old Testament and was eaten by Tutankhamun. I just thought it reminds me Earl Grey tea. I loved this tiny grain with so much Eastern flavour which we find in garam masala. Bitter-sweet, citrusy, inspiring. To make, as it became, a coriander twirl bread.

I quickly mixed

around 400 grams of the white flour
probably 20 or 30 grams of the fresh (compressed) yeast
maybe 2 tablespoons of honey
some salt (need to taste and add if necessary)
3 or 4 teaspoons of coriander seeds, crushed just now
some water, enough to form a soft dough

Kneading well, slowly and obviously with pleasure. Keeping the dough in a warm place to double, more or less, its size. Then shaping into a giant twirl bread, really handsome! This shape is suitable when you were intended to make a long loaf but... it became too long.

Proofing, no rush. Time for dancing, writing (bread) poetry, feeding the family, doing laundry, simply: life.

Baking. 180-190 Celsius degrees. Around 50 minutes. When the coriander twirl got that nice golden colour that I was expecting, I knocked at the bottom for hearing bread's 'hello'.

How so simple thing can be so appealing? You see? Improvisation is the key to success. As well as repeating:-)

After taking photos for you, I asked my husband: 'Have you ever made a make-up to take a photo with bread?'

'Yes', automatically he answered, and took the first bite before I could react. This is the kind of success I like to achieve.

P.S. So the recipe was created by improvisation. Taste, look, smell, joy of acting and sharing they all were the success. But what was exactly the key? I think it was love.