BLACK BEAN WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 cups of black beans, pureed Ah yes, no I begin my confessions. When I made the bread this time I used 2 can of beans, one can of black beans and one can of white beans (it’s what we had on hand). So about 3 cups of beans, which are then pureed using my new favorite method: food processor. For those lacking that tool, a hand mixer, or vigorous angry fork will suffice, though it takes more time. A blender can also work, though it’s a pain to clean out.
• 2-3 tbsp honey
• 1/4 cup oil
• 4 cup whole wheat flour (I used 5 cups this time)
• 2 – 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour

Directions

1. Soften yeast in water.
2. In a large (emphasis on large) bowl combine beans, honey, oil, and salt. Mix well.
3. Add water and yeast mixture.
4. Add 3 cups of the whole wheat flour. Mix well.
5. Continue adding remainder of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour one cup at a time until you have a stiff dough that is moist to the touch.
6. Knead dough about 10 minutes on a floured surface. It should have a smooth satiny texture when done.
7. Let rest about 10 minutes on table, cover with a tea towel or the mixing bowl.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
9. Shape dough into two loaves and place in a greased loaf pans.
10. Let rise, covered, until doubled. This dough rises fairly quickly.  Something important to note is that the bread doesn’t rise much (read: at all) in the oven. So the height you have when you put it in the oven is the height you’ll have when you take it out.
11. Bake for about 45 minutes. (I actually forgot I put the bread in the oven and don’t know how long it baked ^_^*). It should sound hollow when knocked and have a pretty golden color.

Now is time to slice and eat it. I’ve also made rolls from this dough and had it with sloppy joes. It’s a good hearty, protein rich bread. I hope you enjoy!