Step 1

Place dried beans into a shallow pan and sort through them, picking out any broken beans, stones, or other debris. Pour sorted beans into a colander and rinse under cold running water.

Step 2

Place rinsed beans into a large bowl and cover with 2-3 inches of cold water. Cover bowl and allow beans to soak overnight.

Step 3

After an overnight soak, drain beans and add them along with 6 cups of water to a Dutch oven or other large, oven-safe pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer beans for 30 minutes, or until beans are just barely tender. Drain beans through a colander set over a large bowl to reserve cooking liquid. Set drained beans and cooking liquid aside.

Step 4

To the same pot, add onions and bacon. Cook over medium heat until onions are soft and bacon is lightly crisp. Return the beans to the pot with the onions and bacon along with the remaining ingredients. Stir in 3 cups of reserved cooking liquid (if you don’t have 3 cups of cooking liquid, add enough water to make up the difference.).

Step 5

Cover pot with a tight-fitting lid (or transfer to a baking dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil) and bake for 4 hours at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Check occasionally and add more water if necessary to keep beans moist. If after 3 hours the beans look too soupy, remove the lid slightly to allow steam to escape and continue to bake for 1 hour, or until reduced to your desired consistency.

Step 6

Taste before serving and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.