Chef John's Boston Baked Beans

Recipe View 8 hrs Soak the Beans: Place navy beans in a large bowl and cover with several inches of cool water. Let soak overnight or for at least 8 hours. (8+ hours)

Recipe View 20 mins Parboil the Beans: Drain the soaked beans. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, combine the beans with 6 cups of water, baking soda, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and boil for 10 minutes. Drain the beans, reserving the bean-cooking liquid. (20 minutes)

Recipe View 10 mins Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). (10 minutes)

Recipe View 5 mins Combine and Bake: Return the drained beans to the clean Dutch oven. Add the bacon, diced onion, molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, and black pepper. Pour in enough of the hot, reserved bean-cooking liquid to cover the beans. Stir well to combine. (5 minutes)

Recipe View 2 hrs Initial Bake: Cover the Dutch oven and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Check the liquid level and add more reserved bean-cooking liquid if needed to keep the beans covered. Return to the oven and continue baking until the beans are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 1 hour. (2 hours)

Recipe View 30 mins Develop the Crust: Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Uncover the beans and continue baking until the top develops a flavorful, slightly caramelized crust, approximately 20 to 30 minutes. (30 minutes)