Chef John's Baked Navy Beans

Soak the navy beans in a large container, covering them with several inches of cool water. Allow this mixture to sit overnight.

Next, drain the beans and transfer them to a large, heavy cooking vessel or Dutch oven. Fill this pot with 6 cups of water and add a teaspoon of baking soda, along with a bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil, then decrease the heat to medium and let it simmer for 10 minutes. After this process is complete, drain the beans and save the bean-cooking liquid for later use.

To begin preparing the dish, preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now place the navy beans in a clean Dutch oven and add some crispy bacon, chopped onion, molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, and black pepper. Pour in enough of the reserved bean-cooking liquid to cover the beans, stirring everything together.

Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and bake it in the preheated oven for 1 hour. After this time, check on the liquid level and add more reserved bean-cooking liquid if necessary to cover the beans. Return the Dutch oven to the oven and continue baking until the beans are tender and almost all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 1 hour.

Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the lid and continue baking until a flavorful crust forms on top of the beans, taking about 20 to 30 minutes more.