This is another brioche pattern loosely based on fluid dynamics observations, and while not an entirely accurate representation of the form these vortices make, it does have some resemblance to the alternating swirls of a Kármán vortex street.

A Kármán vortex street is a set of swirling vortices that have a repetitive pattern that can be formed as a fluid such as air or water flow around an object. Everyday objects such as buildings, wires strung from utility poles, and even mountains can induce these forms. A quick Google search can provide photos of beautiful cloud formations that show this phenomenon, videos that describe it better than what’s written here, and explain some of the reasons why this is an interesting engineering problem (the Ferrybridge Power Station incident in 1965 being a well documented example). A beautiful visualization of this effect can be found at Laminar Sciences, specifically the video VortexStreet_y0907d18.

The brioche is very squishy and stretches, so the finished size should accommodate an 18-24” (46-61cm) adult head easily. Though if in doubt, check your gauge.