Every book I write has yet another variation of this soft, enriched multigrain loaf, my all-time favorite bread. The name comes from western Scotland, probably the town called Struanmoor, on the Isle of Skye, and also from a Gaelic clan name that means “a convergence of streams.” It was originally conceived of as a once-a-year harvest bread, incorporating whatever grains and seeds were available from the previous day’s harvest. Because the notion of a harvest bread offers a great deal of formula flexibility, I’m always looking for ways to push the struan envelope in search of better or easier versions. This recipe is very similar to the version I originally made at my bakery, Brother Juniper’s, and it was by far the most popular bread we made. This time around, I’ve taken advantage of the overnight, cold fermentation method to come up with a recipe that’s more flexible, particularly in regard to time options. This is the ultimate toasting bread. There’s something about the combination of ingredients that creates the perfect balance of flavor and texture when toasted and spread with butter, jam, or both. It also works beautifully as a sandwich bread with fillings like tuna salad, chicken salad, or egg salad. You can reduce the amount of sugar or honey if you prefer, but I like the sweetness of this bread and think the combination of brown sugar and honey enhances the toasting qualities. Still, sweetness is a very personal matter, so follow your heart and your palate.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 2 loaves or many rolls
Ingredients
Preparation
Do ahead
Step 1
Combine the flour, cornmeal, oats, bran, rice, sugar, salt, yeast, honey, water, and milk in a mixing bowl. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 2 minutes. If mixing by hand, use a large spoon and stir for about 2 minutes. The dough will be sticky, coarse, and shaggy. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes to fully hydrate the flour.
Step 2
Once again, mix on the slowest speed with the paddle attachment, or by hand using a large spoon, for 2 minutes more to further develop the dough. Add flour as needed to keep the dough together, but it should still be soft and very tacky or slightly sticky. (In the unlikely event that the dough is too stiff, work in a little more water.)
Step 3
Use a bowl scraper to transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, then dust the top of the dough with flour. Lightly knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. The dough will still be soft and sticky but should hold together to form a soft, supple ball. With wet or oiled hands, reach under one end of the dough, stretch it out, then fold it back onto the top of the dough. Do this from the back end and then from each side, then flip the dough over and tuck it into a ball. The dough should be slightly firmer, though still very soft and fragile. Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Repeat this entire process three more times, completing all repetitions within 40 minutes.
Step 4
After the final stretch and fold, place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight or for up to 5 days. (If you plan to bake the dough in batches over different days, you can portion the dough and place it into two or more oiled bowls at this stage.)
On baking day
Step 5
Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 2 hours before you plan to bake. Shape the cold dough into one or more sandwich loaves (see page 23), using 28 ounces (794 g) of dough for 4 1/2 by 8-inch loaf pans and 36 ounces (1.02 kg) of dough for 5 by 9-inch pans; into freestanding loaves of any size, which you can shape as bâtards (see page 21), baguettes (see page 22), or boules (see page 20); or into rolls (see page 25), using about 2 ounces (56.5 g) of dough per roll. When shaping, use only as much flour on the work surface as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. For sandwich loaves, proof the dough in greased loaf pans. For freestanding loaves and rolls, line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat and proof the dough on the pan.
Step 6
Brush the top of the dough with water and sprinkle with poppy (or sesame) seeds, then mist with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until increased to about 1 1/2 times its original size. In loaf pans, the dough should dome at least 1 inch above the rim.
Step 7
About 15 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C), 300°F (149°C) for a convection oven.
Step 8
Bake the loaves for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan; rotate rolls after 10 minutes. The total baking time is 45 to 60 minutes for loaves, and only 20 to 25 minutes for rolls. The bread is done when it has a rich golden color, the loaf sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom, and the internal temperature is above 185°F (85°C) in the center.
Step 9
Cool for at least 20 minutes for rolls and 1 hour for large loaves before slicing or serving.
Variations
Step 10
You can substitute almost any cooked grain, such as bulgur, millet, or quinoa, for the brown rice. Just don’t use white rice, as it tends to stand out too much and draw attention to itself, and don’t use cooked grain that’s more than 5 days old unless it’s been kept in the freezer. If you don’t want to take the time to cook grains for this recipe, you can make the bread without this ingredient, but don’t increase the amount of the uncooked grains to compensate.
Step 11
In place of the oats, cornmeal, and bran, you can use commercial multigrain blends, such as ten-grain or twelve-grain cereal. Simply replace the 3.25 ounces (92 g) combined weight of those grains with an equal amount of any multigrain blend. Alternatively, you can replace any one of those grains with an equal amount (by weight) of multigrain blend.
Step 12
If you want to make a sourdough version, add 4 ounces (113 g) of mother starter to the recipe without making any other changes. Don’t change the amount of instant yeast; yes, it is a lot of yeast, but it’s necessary.
