When I think of adding things to bread dough, I have to admit that beans aren't generally my first thought. Fruit, nuts, seeds? Sure! Potatoes? Yes! Eggs, honey, milk, yogurt, etc.? Of course! Cheese, zucchini, herbs, even meat? I can dig it. Beans? Not my first pick. I wasn't sure what dumping a bunch of mashed black beans into my dough would do to it. Would the gluten be disrupted? Would it make it heavy? Dense? Wet? All of the above?! But it turns out that black bean bread is amazing and magical and wonderful! It tastes delicious, it rises beautifully, it has a rich dark colour, and it keeps incredibly well. It's now one of my favourite breads. And the raisins are just the icing on the already wonderful cake! Perfection.

Black Bean Raisin Bread

From the Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book

Ingredients

• 1 c. uncooked black turtle beans
• 2 c. liquid from cooking the beans
• 1/4 c. molasses
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 4 tsp. active dry yeast¹
• 1/4 c. warm water
• 750g hard (strong/high grade/bread) whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 c. raisins, steamed or soaked for 5-10 minutes and drained

Directions

1. Cook the beans and drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
2. Add or pour off water as needed to bring the measurement to 2 c.
3. Mash beans with potato masher or combine with cooking liquid and blend with electric blender or food processor.
4. Add molasses and oil to bean mixture and allow to cool slightly. (It should be somewhere around 35-40°C.)
5. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 c. warm water and let stand for ~10 minutes.
6. Mix flour and salt in a bowl.
7. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the bean mixture and the yeast mixture.
8. Gradually incorporate the flour into the liquids, working from the centre outward.
9. Knead dough very well (20-40 minutes depending on your technique).
10. Add the raisins toward the end of kneading.
11. Shape dough into a ball, place in bowl, cover, and let rise for ~1 hour. Poke dough with a wet finger to test if it's done. If the hole doesn't fill in at all, it's ready. (If it sighs and/or sinks back, it's gone past the ideal point to knock it back.)
12. Knock the dough back by pressing it flat. Knead it a few strokes if you wish, but not too much!
13. Shape it into a smooth ball again and return it to the covered bowl to rise again. This rise may go slightly faster. (Depending on the temperature of your room, of course.)
14. Use the same finger poke to test doneness. Once ready, knock the dough back again.
15. Divide it into two equal portions and round each one. Cover and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
16. Shape each portion into a loaf as desired. (Hearth loaves or pan loaves.)
17. Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes. (The finger poke test should have it filling in slightly/slowly.)
18. DO NOT slash the crust!
19. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for ~1 hour.

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¹ If you're using "instant" yeast, reduce the amount by 25%. (ie. Use 1 Tbsp. rather than 4 tsp.) You may also mix the yeast in with the dry ingredients rather than hydrating it first. ^Back