Pinto Bean Bread

Pinto bean bread is one of those sneaky Depression-era baking tricks that turns out to be genuinely good. Two cups of mashed pinto beans go straight into the dough where you would normally expect eggs or extra milk. The result is a soft, golden yeast loaf with a tender, slightly nutty crumb and a bump of protein and fiber you would never guess was there.

The beans add just enough moisture and structure to keep the crumb dense in the best way, the sort that holds up to butter and makes excellent toast. Kids have no idea beans are hiding inside, which is the whole point.

This is a classic two-rise yeast dough, no special equipment, no hard-to-find ingredients. Mash the beans well. Lumpy bean paste gives you lumpy bread.

Kitchen Tips

• Warm the milk to 105 to 110°F (40 to 43°C) to activate the yeast. Hotter kills it, cooler stalls it.
• Mash the pinto beans to a smooth paste with a fork or a ricer. Whole chunks leave hollow pockets in the crumb.
• Knead for a full 8 to 10 minutes. The dough is stiffer than usual because of the beans and needs extra work to develop gluten.
• Tap the bottom of the loaf when done. A hollow sound means it’s fully baked.

Variations

• Add ¼ cup honey or maple syrup in place of sugar for a sweeter, more aromatic loaf.
• Stir in a tablespoon of cumin or chili powder for a Southwestern sandwich bread.
• Use black beans or kidney beans in place of pinto for color and flavor variations.