Making Bread is Poetry (inspired by SaraF’s A recipe for me)

Making bread is easy, some say.

Add water to flour and don't forget the yeast,

unless pita bread is what you eat,

stir, knead and let rise before you bake.

That's all it takes!

Some say the same about poetry.

Put a word here, a metaphor there,

add a rhyming couplet,

and you're home free!

Poets would certainly disagree.

Like poetry, making bread is artistry.

Make sour dough bread

and you will see

that it takes time like poetry,

to get there mouth-watery.

Preparing a starter with wild yeast

is definitely the way to go,

for aroma, texture and flavour,

I'm sure you know.

After a week of fermenting and refreshing,

the starter is ready to make dough.

Knead it gently and lovingly,

for good gluten elasticity.

Leavening, shaping and proofing

affect its structure and texture,

and every loaf's personality:

Round, oblong, puffy or bubbly.

When that golden-brown poem,

has become a crusty reality,

the result is sumptuous music,

a divine delicacy!

Smell its fresh-baked aroma,

feel its crustiness and suppleness,

taste its spirit and soul!

Like manna from heaven,

inspiring and sustaining

after a soulless day.