The Fresh Loaf

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Pinto Bean Bread

liseling's picture
liseling

Pinto Bean Bread

I think I've found one of the greatest sandwich breads ever in this recipe! It's soft and delicious with a crispy crust, it takes hardly any time to make once you've soaked your beans, and it's a high protein bread with all the nutrients found in pinto beans.

I found a Pinto bean bread recipe on the Idaho Bean Commission website: http://www2.state.id.us/bean/recipes/getrecipe_action.cfm and I tweaked it a bit to use weight measurements instead of cups and to use instant yeast instead of active dry. I also added another proofing step and changed the flour ratios a bit. That website has more recipes for beans than you could ever imagine possible!

Anyway the bread came out better than I could hope. I think it's become my new sandwich favorite. It has a delicious flavor that only slightly reminds me of beans (although a bean flavor wouldnt have put me off - I love Pinto beans) and is very soft and springy. And I'm always trying to get more protein into my diet.

The Bean commision put nutritional values on their recipe page for a "serving's" worth of bread. I assume they mean per slice, since the values look comparable to those per slice for other breads. They will be slightly different now that I've fiddled with the flour ratios, but then, the recipe was hardly precise to begin with since the flour was measured in cups and the number of cups was not specific.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this bread as much as I have!

 

I did a free form loaf as well as one in a loaf pan.

 

 

 

 

Ingredients: 
430g warm bean water (that used to boil the beans)

36g honey

41g vegetable oil

473g cooked Pinto beans, pureed

12g sea salt

7g instant dry yeast

300g whole wheat flour

473g white flour

 

Preparation:

Soak your Pinto beans overnight and then cook them in a pressure cooker till they can easily be smashed between the fingers. Save the water. Remember that the beans will be much heavier once they are soaked and cooked, so be sure to prepare enough. After the beans are cooked, put them in a food processor and mix till fairly smooth.

Mix warm bean water, honey, oil, bean mash and salt in a large bowl; mix well. Add yeast.
Add wheat flour and enough of the white flour to make dough stiff but slightly sticky to the touch. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes until it passes the window pane test.

Place in an oiled bowl and let rise till three times its original size, about 1 hour. Turn out onto work surface and shape into loaves or place in loaf pans; let rise until double (about 30 minutes). Bake at 350F (175C) for 50 minutes or until the bottom of the loaf is firm and sounds hollow when tapped.

 

Nutrition Information

Amount Per Serving

Cals: 183

Total Fat: 2.8g

Cholesterol: 0

Sodium: 65mg

Total Carb: 33.7

Dietary Fiber: 6.5g

Sugars: na

Protein: 7.2g

 

 

 

You can see the little bean skins add an interesting look to the outside of the loaf.

 

Crumb shot - very moist and shiny.

 

ready to be eaten - yum!

mennyaka1's picture
mennyaka1

Can anyone suggest sourdough version of this recipe?

 

the bread look delicious!!

liseling's picture
liseling

I was very happy with it. It's especially great that it's so nutritious and protein rich! I'd be interested in converting it to sourdough as well. Unfortunately I've never had experience with doing that sort of thing. Maybe someone else....?

photojess's picture
photojess

can't wait to try it, but need to get some sea salt first.

Anyone know how much kosher salt that would equal, so I could make it sooner?

liseling's picture
liseling

Use Kosher salt. I thought that was basically the same thing as sea salt?

photojess's picture
photojess

grains or chunks?  I have sea salt in a grinder, but can't get it out without grinding.  The kosher is larger than table salt.

Paddyscake's picture
Paddyscake

If you are weighing the salt you would use 12 g as listed in the recipe, whatever kind of salt (sea,kosher,table).  If the measurements were by volume (i.e. 1/2 tsp) then you would have to convert it. Because unground sea salt crystals are bigger you would have less salt in a 1/2 tsp than if you used it ground. This is why weight measurements are so important. You will find consistency baking this way. Hope that's clearer than mud!

Betty

 

liseling's picture
liseling

What Betty said.

I know that kosher salt is bigger than table salt, I just dont know if there's much of a difference between kosher salt and sea salt - they're both in the form of crystals. 

I used kosher/sea salt but as long as you weigh I dont think it's going to create a disaster or anything if you use table salt or grind up your sea salt or whatever.

Happy baking!