Velvety White Bean Bread with Rosemary

Velvety White Bean Bread with Rosemary

White Bean Bread with Rosemary is velvety smooth, has a nice golden brown crust and a wonderfully fine, most crumb.

Serves: Two 8x4-inch Loaves

Ingredients

1 tsp instant dry yeast

1 – 1 ½ cups lukewarm water, divided

2 cups drained, cooked or canned white beans, room temp (unsalted)

1 cup bread flour 

1 tbsp olive oil

4 salt 

2-3 tbsp chopped rosemary (optional)

2 cups whole wheat flour

Dissolve yeast in water. Process beans in a blender or food processor until smooth (using ½ cup of the water), then transfer to a large bowl or stand mixer. Stir yeast mixture into beans. Add the bread flour and stir for one minute, in one direction, to develop the dough. Add the oil, salt, and rosemary, if using and stir them in. Add 1 cup of the WW flour and stir in. Add the remaining WW flour and knead in with a dough hook, or work in and knead by hand for about 5 minutes, until smooth.

Place dough in a bowl, cover, and let rise for 2 hours, until almost doubled in volume. (There should be about 2.6 pounds of dough.) Fold the dough after 45 minutes and again after 1 ½ hours. Let it rest on the counter for the final 30 minutes.

Cover the bowl tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator and knead it slightly to degas it. {Alternately, proceed to the next step if you prefer to bake the loaves the same day.}

Shape dough into a round ball and let it rest on the counter for 30 minutes. Divide in half. Grease two 8x4" pans. Form each portion of dough into a loaf and place seam side down in the pans.

If you are proofing cold dough, let it proof for 2 ½ hours. If however, you are proofing dough that hasn’t been cold fermented, reduce the proofing time to about an hour. Watch the dough for proper rise. Check at 1 hour and continue to proof if needed.

Preheat oven to 400ºF, have a spray bottle or small cup of water ready for steam. Slash each loaf lengthwise, place in oven and bake for 5 minutes, adding steam every couple minutes with the sprayer or cup. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375ºF and bake for 25 minutes until rich brown with a matte finish. Turn the loaves out and check for doneness. Finish cooling on a wire rack before slicing