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¼ cup tepid water (60 ml), approximately

FULL SOUR

basic sour from above

1 cup tepid water

2 cups whole rye flour (255 g)

DOUGH

4 teaspoons active dry yeast (½ oz or 14 g)

1 ½ cup warm water (350 ml)

full sour from above

3 cups whole rye flour (385 g)

3 cups whole wheat flour (450 g)

3 ¾ teaspoons salt (21 g)

½ teaspoon caraway seed

A classic, old-fashioned bakery rye: mild in flavor, substantial, satisfying. Beginning with a very small sour starter, the baker builds the dough for this bread in three stages. Since the timing is unusual, it may fit into a schedule that ordinary breads do not: the basic sour ferments overnight, then is mixed into a larger sponge, the full sour. After around four more hours of fermentation, the dough is mixed and shaped, and goes into the oven within an hour. The final loaves are large hefty rounds with thick, burnished crusts.

BASIC SOUR Combine the starter with the rye flour and add enough water to make a stiff dough. Keep at room temperature overnight, about 12 hours at 70°F.

FULL SOUR To make the full sour, soften the basic sour in 1 cup water. Combine with the flour and add just enough water to get the mixture to come together in a very stiff, claylike dough. Knead it, working in another 2 to 4 tablespoons water to soften the dough, but not so much that it gets sticky. Let it stand covered in the bowl at room temperature, around 4 hours.

DOUGH Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and combine with the remaining ingredients, including the full sour, to make a stiff dough. Knead in another 1 ½ cups of warm water, or whatever is necessary to make the dough soft but not sticky. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then divide it in two and shape it into round loaves, using water liberally on the dough surface so it won’t tear. Let rise in greased round 2 ½-quart bowls, preferably glass casseroles with lids. Keep in a warm place, 85° to 90°F, until the dough becomes soft. This usually takes 30 to 45 minutes, never more than an hour.

Preheat the oven to 450°F, allowing it plenty of time to reach temperature. Pour ¼ cup warm water over each loaf, cover, and bake in the hot oven. After 20 minutes reduce the temperature to 400°F and bake for another hour until done. These loaves are large so they take a long, hot bake.

Using the Bean

Homemade, fragrant, hot from the oven—bread offers a natural way to help smooth and encourage the transition to a more healthful diet. Try to include certain other wholesome foods, though, and sometimes a wall of resistance goes up. It’s one thing when we ourselves find new items strange and unsatisfying at first; but when our family’s health is at issue, and logic, persuasion and the nutrition charts don’t seem to carry much weight, it’s time to call upon art, and maybe even a little sleight of hand, to keep everybody in harmony.

The recipes in this section definitely fall into the sleight-of-hand category. They are not meant for people who can happily sit down to enjoy a hearty meal of good plain bread and beans; they are designed for those who, while acknowledging the fine nutritional contribution of legumes, would just as soon not take them neat. They are for moms who want to give their kids a more nutritious diet despite their resistance to it, and for people on the go who are likely to make a meal of toast. Above all, they are meant to address situations where the taste buds are more convincing than any nutrition chart: “I don’t care if it is good for me, I don’t LIKE it!”

These breads are good nutrition, and good eating, too; the recipes are original and reliable. They show that you can incorporate an impressive amount of legume protein into bread without compromising its natural appeal—and there is a broad spectrum represented here, too. We hope that the recipes serve you well, and that the guidelines we have worked out will enable you to design your own bean breads, perfectly tailored to your needs and taste.

SOME CONSIDERATIONS WHEN BAKING WITH BEANS

Most of these recipes call