Black Bean & Roasted Garlic Flatbread Dough

Name: Black Bean & Roasted Garlic Flatbread Dough
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Latin American
Ingredients: 2½ cups (312 g) all-purpose flour; 1 cup (175 g) cooked black beans, fresh or canned, drained, rinsed, and patted dry; 8 cloves (40 g) roasted garlic cloves, cooled completely, roughly chopped; ¾ cup (180 ml) warm water, 110°F (43°C), for activating yeast; 1½ teaspoons (5 g) instant (bread) yeast; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1½ teaspoons (9 g) kosher salt; ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cumin

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A hearty, flavorful flatbread dough made with cooked black beans and roasted garlic cloves that create a tender crumb and rich, umami-forward taste. The beans add moisture and protein, while the roasted garlic mellows into sweet, nutty notes. This dough is ideal for making thick or thin flatbreads, pizza, or focaccia-style breads. The dough comes together quickly with minimal kneading and requires just one short rise before shaping and cooking.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Wait: 1 hr 30 min
Total: 2 hr 10 min
Makes: 6 flatbreads (8–10 inches each) or 1 large sheet flatbread

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Steps

Before you start

Roast garlic cloves ahead of time (or use store-bought roasted garlic) and let cool completely before mixing
If using canned black beans, drain and rinse thoroughly, then pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture
Measure all ingredients before starting—this dough comes together quickly

1
Activate yeast and rest
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water (110°F / 43°C) and instant yeast.
- Stir gently and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy and fragrant.
- This blooming step ensures your yeast is active.
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Ready when: Mixture is foamy and smells of yeast
Tip: If the yeast doesn't foam, it may be expired—discard and start with fresh yeast.
2
Mix dry ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and ground cumin until evenly distributed.
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Ready when: Dry mixture is uniform with no streaks of cumin
Tip: Whisking the salt and spice throughout the flour prevents overly salty pockets in the dough.
3
Combine wet ingredients
- Add the olive oil to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
- Mash the roasted garlic cloves with the back of a spoon or fork until mostly broken down but not entirely pureed (some small pieces are fine).
- Fold the mashed garlic and drained black beans into the yeast-oil mixture, stirring until roughly combined.
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Ready when: Garlic and beans are distributed throughout the wet mixture
Tip: Don't over-mash the garlic—leaving some texture adds visual interest and keeps the cloves from becoming bitter.
4
Combine dry and wet
- Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Using a wooden spoon or the dough hook of a stand mixer, stir and mix until all dry flour is incorporated and a shaggy dough forms.
- There should be no pockets of dry flour remaining.
- The dough will look rough and slightly wet at this stage.
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Ready when: All flour is incorporated and no dry spots remain
Tip: If using a stand mixer, use medium speed—don't over-mix at this stage, or you'll develop too much gluten.
5
Knead the dough
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.
- Knead by hand for 6–8 minutes (or use a stand mixer on medium speed for 5–6 minutes) until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but no longer sticky.
- It should gently spring back when poked.
- The black beans will remain visible, and some may break slightly during kneading—this is normal and adds to the dough's character.
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Ready when: Dough is smooth, elastic, springs back when poked, and feels slightly tacky
Tip: The dough will feel slightly moister than a typical bread dough due to the beans and garlic—this is correct and will bake up tender.
6
First rise
- Shape the kneaded dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat all sides with oil.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel.
- Let rise at room temperature (68–72°F / 20–22°C) for 60–90 minutes, until roughly doubled in size.
- The dough should be puffy and leave a slight indentation when poked gently.
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Ready when: Dough has doubled in volume and springs back slowly when poked
Tip: Warmer kitchens will produce a faster rise; cooler kitchens will take longer. The poke test is more reliable than the clock.
7
Divide and shape
- Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces (or 1 if making a single large sheet flatbread).
- For individual flatbreads: gently shape each piece into a round, pulling the edges to the bottom to create surface tension.
- Let the pieces rest on a baking sheet, uncovered, for 10 minutes to relax the gluten, making them easier to stretch.
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Ready when: Dough pieces are shaped and slightly puffed after resting
Tip: If the dough springs back aggressively as you shape it, let it rest longer before stretching it to its final size.
8
Stretch to final thickness
- On a lightly oiled or floured surface, gently stretch each dough round with your hands and fingertips into an 8–10 inch flatbread, roughly ¼ inch thick.
- Transfer to an oiled rimmed baking sheet or cast-iron skillet (or your chosen cooking vessel).
- The dough should fit snugly but without stretching over the sides.
- If making a single large sheet flatbread, stretch into a ½-sheet shape (13×18 inches) on a rimmed baking sheet and let proof for 10–15 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough is stretched to the desired thickness without tears
Tip: Don't worry about small holes in the dough—they're normal and add rustic charm. If a large tear appears, pinch it closed.

Good to know

Tips

Roasting your own garlic is simple: wrap whole unpeeled cloves in foil, place in a 400°F (205°C) oven for 15–20 minutes until soft and fragrant, then cool and squeeze the cloves from their skins. Store-bought roasted garlic (in jars or vacuum-packed) is a convenient substitute.
This dough is forgiving of slight variations in bean moisture. If your dough feels too wet after mixing, knead in a tablespoon or two of flour; if it's too dry and shaggy, add water by the teaspoon until it comes together smoothly.
The black beans add moisture and weight, so this dough will never be as light and airy as an all-flour dough—it's naturally denser and more substantial, making it perfect for hearty fillings or toppings.
Before cooking, consider topping the shaped flatbreads with coarse sea salt, fresh herbs (cilantro, scallions), or caramelized onions for extra flavor and texture.

Make ahead

Black bean and roasted garlic flatbread dough can be made up to 8 hours ahead. After the first rise (step 6), punch down the dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Allow it to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before shaping and cooking. Alternatively, shape the dough into individual pieces, wrap, and refrigerate for up to 8 hours; cook directly from the fridge, adding 2–3 minutes to the cooking time.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature (up to 4 hours, covered loosely): Cooked flatbreads can cool and rest at room temperature, loosely covered with a clean towel to prevent drying. Refrigerator (up to 5 days): Wrap cooled flatbreads individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store in an airtight container. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5–7 minutes, wrapped in foil to prevent crisping, until warm. Freezer (up to 3 months): Wrap cooled flatbreads individually in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Thaw at room temperature for 1–2 hours, or reheat directly from frozen in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 8–10 minutes, wrapped in foil.

Substitutions

cooked black beans, fresh or canned → 1 cup (175 g) cooked pinto beans or red kidney beans. Both have similar moisture content and heartiness. Pinto beans will give a slightly earthier flavor; red kidney beans will be more neutral.
roasted garlic cloves → 6 cloves raw garlic, minced very finely, or ½ teaspoon garlic powder mixed into the flour. Raw garlic will have a sharper bite; garlic powder a more muted, concentrated flavor. Neither will have the mellow sweetness of roasted garlic.
instant (bread) yeast → ½ teaspoon (2 g) active dry yeast, or ¼ teaspoon (1 g) of rapid-rise yeast; adjust hydration slightly if using active dry yeast (add an extra tablespoon of water). Active dry yeast is coarser and may require longer rising time. Rapid-rise yeast will speed things up by 10–15 minutes.
ground cumin → ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or dried oregano. Paprika adds a subtle smokiness; oregano brings herbaceous notes typical of Mediterranean flatbreads rather than Latin American.