Resurrecting Brother Juniper’s: Struan Bread

Brother Juniper’s Bread Book: Slow Rise as Method and Metaphor brings the magic of Santa Rosa’s legendary baker Peter Reinhart into your home baking repertoire with great ease. Free from the intimidating methods of weighing ingredients and ad-hearing to bakers ratios in the more advance baker books (including some of Mr. Reinhardt’s newer books), Brother Peter’s 1991 cookbook explores many of the tasty recipes that earned Mr. Reinhardt the best Bakery in Somona County. Reinhart’s bakery was located in downtown Santa Rosa, near a space that is now inhabited by a small locally-owned Raw Food cafe: Seed (Santa Rosa’s South A Arts District). A welcome addition to the neighborhood from what I hear . . .

Always on the prowl to unearth forgotten bread recipes, I met my newest cookbook inspiration at funky Treehorn’s bookstore (a favorite indulgence of mine) in downtown Santa Rosa. After spending a good half hour delving into their vast collection of vintage cookbooks, I noticed a small signed first edition copy with forward by none other than Glen Ellen’s MFK Fisher. Glancing through the pages, I came across a recipe for a widely forgotten Scottish Struan. Reinhart states, ” I knew Struan would be the wild card no one expected.” Brother Juniper’s Struan is made from wheat, corn, oats, brown rice and bran. Moistened with low fat buttermilk and sweetened with brown sugar and honey. Struan was created in celebration of the annual harvest and in honor of Saint Michael the archangel of harvest season, and though Rienhart had initial reservations of including this recipe, he ultimately decided that the tradition of bringing this nutritious and delicious bread to the table must live on. Given the density of the ingredients, this bread is the pinnacle example to “Slow Rise as Method and Metaphor” however, with all the additional grains and natural sweeteners this bread does best with one rising, and proofing for maximum oven spring. See picture below:

 

Struan Bread Recipe (Adpated Reinhart’s Brother Juniper’s Bread Book)

Ingredients:

7 cups bread flour (King Arthur, Stone Buhr, Eatwell Farms *)

1/2 cup uncooked polenta

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup organic brown sugar

1/3 cup wheat bran

4 tsp fine grain sea salt

2 fresh yeast cakes (my preference) , or 2 tbsp., plus 1 tsp. instant yeast (least hassle), or 3 tbsp. active dry yeast

(if you decide to use fresh or active dry, you must hydrate yeast with a bit of the water included in the recipe to activate before using. Any type of yeast will make a great loaf, so go with what is easiest to find)

1/2 cup cooked brown rice (Trader Joe’s has precooked brown rice – makes it easier)

1/4 cup honey

1 cup low fat buttermilk

Approximately 1 1/4 cups water (filter or purified water – not distilled)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, including the salt and yeast (unless using fresh or active dry, which should be activated in warm water and added to the dry ingredients). Add the cooked rice, honey and buttermilk, then water and mix together.

Lightly sprinkle some flour on the counter and turn the ball out on the counter and begin kneading. Because of all the healthy grains, kneading time is extended at least 15 minutes. The dough will change before your eyes, lighting in color, becoming gradually more elastic and evenly grained. The finished dough should be tacky, not sticky, lightly golden, stretched and elastic, rather than porridge-like. If you dough flakes or crumbles add more water. When you push the heals of your hand into the dough it should give way and not tear.

Place kneaded dough in a clean lightly oil bowl and cover with plastic wrap, or use plastic quart measuring tub so you can monitor the double volume with greater ease. Allow dough to rise in a warm place about an hour, until it is roughly double (rise time increases the cooler the temp 75 degrees or lower).

Cut dough into two loaves (9×5 pans or two ovals), if using a sandwich loaf pan, roll up dough and pinch end seams and place seam side down in “pre-oiled” loaf pan, or roll and shape into a boule for the oval pans. Cover and allow loaves to double inside. Begin preheating the oven to 400 degrees.

Once dough has risen and is cresting over the pan, slash the top of the loaf with a few incisions to allow loaf to expand during baking. Brush tops with 1 egg white mixed with a splash of water – this will give the crust great color.

Place loaves into the oven at 400 degrees and bake for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 35 minutes. Loaves should have an internal temperature of at least 185 degrees, but can go as high as 210 degrees before over cooking. If no thermometer is handy remove bread from oven and give the bottom a thwack with your finger, you should hear a hollow sound reflecting a well cooked loaf!

Allow the breads to cool on wire racks for at least 40 minutes before slicing. This bread taste exceptional with anything, but serves well as breakfast toast, and the whole grains are great for sustaining blood sugar versus traditional white breads.

Notes:

* Eatwell Farm: a Solano County farm that makes amazing Fresh Stone Ground Flour. Purchased a freshly milled bag (literally milled two days prior to purchase). All breads that I have included this flour were outstanding! I luckily found them at the Ferry Building Farmers Market.