Easy Soups from Scratch with Quick Breads to Match

Глава 12

No-Soak Slow-Cooker Beans

MAKES 7 TO 10 CUPS [1.2 TO 1.7 KG]

ACTIVE TIME 10 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME 5 TO 9 HOURS

3 cups [515 to 570 g] dried beans

(see chart on page 18)

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2

medium yellow onion, chopped (optional)

1 medium garlic clove, peeled (optional)

2 tsp sea salt

1 bay leaf

1.

Rinse the beans and pick out any stones or shriveled beans.

Drain the beans and add to a 3- to 7-qt/3.5- to 6.5-L slow cooker.

Add the onion and garlic (if using), the salt, the bay leaf, and enough cold water to cover the beans by 2 in [5 cm], or about 8 cups [2 L]).

Cover the cooker and cook on low heat until the beans are tender, 5 to 9 hours, depending on the age of the beans and your slow cooker.

2.

Drain any remaining liquid from the beans, transfer to a large bowl, and cool completely in the refrigerator.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Or divide into 1

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2

-cup [255-g] portions and store in zip-top plastic freezer bags in the freezer for up to 3 months.

(Lay the bags flat for efficient storage.)

STOVE-TOP VARIATION:

Prepare the beans for cooking as directed above, and combine the ingredients in a large soup pot.

Add enough cold water to cover by 4 in [10 cm], or about 8 cups [2 L]).

Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

Cook until the beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1

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2

hours.

Drain, cool, and store as directed above.

Fast, Adaptable Yeast-Risen Dough

I love to bake fresh bread, but bread dough made with yeast requires lots of time to rise, time I don’t always have to spare. So I’ve developed a recipe for fast-rising dough that I use for a number of different applications in this book—Olive and Prosciutto Rolls (page 163), Roasted Garlic Focaccia (page 142), and Thin and Crispy Breadsticks (page 144). Just mix, form into the desired shape, and let it rise for 30 minutes. Then it’s ready for the oven!

Not only is this dough versatile and fast, but it also doubles well so you can freeze half for another baking project later.