Navy Bread

I created this unusual bread to satisfy our desire for bread with a reduced carb load, for those days when we feel compelled to be extra healthy. The result is a rather pleasant bread with an unusual purplish color, served here with Navy Bean Soup. The kids really liked it too. A really rare win-win for food!




Navy bread provides a complete protein profile by blending grains and beans. The color is from the grape seed flour, which also adds fiber, antioxidants, and a hint of graham cracker flavor. The little black chia seeds add flavor, texture, antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, and Omega 3. With flax seeds and oat bran too, it’s loaded with some pretty healthy stuff. You can get all of these from my favorite King Arthur Flour. Best of all, it’s all wrapped up in home-made bread that we all love to dig into.

I may try running the nutrition on this one sometime. It seems like a pretty nutritionally balanced food all on its own.

Look here for the briefer version.


Ingredients:


16 oz can Navy Beans (Bush), not drained
10 ½ oz        water
3          Tbsp   oil or butter
1 ½      tsp       salt
10 oz bread flour
6          oz        whole grain flour (pref. kamut or white wheat)
¾ c oat bran
¾ c flax flour
3 Tbsp gluten
2          Tbsp   sugar
1 ½      tsp       barley malt powder, optional
⅛         tsp       ascorbic acid (vitamin C), opt’l
3          tsp       instant active yeast
1 ½      tsp       granular lecithin, optional (extends the time before bread goes stale)
2 Tbsp grape seed flour
3 Tbsp chia seed

Directions:

Dump the beans, juice and all, into the mixer and beat until fairly smooth.

Add water and oil/butter, then the salt. Dump in the bread and Kamut flours, then the bran, flax, and gluten. Mix the dry ingredients to combine slightly. Make a well, then att the sugar, malt, ascorbic acid, and yeast. Mix these together in the well, incorporating some of the flour. Add the lecethin, grape seed, and chia seed.

Mix together with regular beater until combined, about a minute. Switch to the dough hook, and knead for about 7 min, until a smooth, soft ball. Add water or flour if necessary to achieve a nice texture.

Dump into an oiled rising bucket and rise in a proofing oven or other warm place until doubled, about an hour.

Start preheating an oven to 350°. Shape as desired, place on parchment, spray with Pam, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to double in a warm place, about 45 min to an hour.

Bake in on a baking stone or baking sheet until internal temp reaches 195°-205°, or until done.