If your only experience of baked beans on toast is with what comes out of a can, you are in for a treat. This homemade baked beans and eggs on toast is way superior in every way—a breakfast or brunch to savour.
This classic dish originated in Europe. However, on reaching North America, its evolution took a very different path. The homemade baked beans recipe featured here builds on the British heritage of the dish. And so, US readers, be warned!
My baked beans conditioning was with the New Zealand version: Wattie’s Baked Beans. If you clicked on that link, you would have noticed the marketing department have been trying too hard recently (Beanz?!) This example of brilliant marketing brings to mind marketing people on the B-Ark in the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy.
Choice of beans
Typically haricot beans are used to make baked beans. However, for this dish, I used cannellini beans. They are a little bigger and taste really good. A really versatile ingredient, they also worked very well in this white bean puree.
The beans are important, but the sauce is where most of the dish’s character comes from. It needs just the right amount of tomato flavour, acidity, heat, and spice. Actually, there is no “right amount”. I liked the proportions in this recipe. Experiment. It’s all part of the fun.
The magic of a poached egg
Let’s not forget the topping! This is baked beans and eggs on toast. And while the baked beans are truly delicious, the addition of a soft poached egg with its runny yolk mingling with the tomato sauce lifts this dish to the heavenly level. And, if you are making this for brunch, how about a glass of Champagne?
There is no end of advice on the internet about how to make the ultimate baked beans. The best advice I found was this article in The Guardian. Again, these are the baked beans of the UK and its colonies.
Homemade baked beans and eggs on toast
Ingredients
For the tomato sauce
- 1 small red pepper
- 4 large tomatoes
- 1 small onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 small carrot
- 1 stick celery
- 10 g butter
- 1 chilli pepper finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 100 ml tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp honey mustard
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup water or veggie stock
Other ingredients
- 400 g fresh cannellini beans OR 2 cans cannellini beans
- 1 tsp salt if using fresh beans
- 4 slices Pumpernickel bread
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese grated
Instructions
Tomato sauce
- Halve the red pepper and tomatoes and roast for 1 hour at 180 degC
- When the peppers and tomatoes have cooled sufficiently, remove the skins and hard cores, and coarsely chop.
- Peel and dice the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Saute in the butter until onion is translucent, but not starting to brown.
- Add the tomato paste and continue to saute for 5 more minutes
- Add the chilli pepper, bay leaf, star anise, paprika, cider vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, water, and the chopped tomatoes and red pepper.
- Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. It should reduce and thicken.
- Remove the star anise and bay leaf.
- Blend the tomato mixture until smooth.
If using fresh beans
- Rinse then simmer in a saucepan of water for 30 minutes.
- Add 1 tsp salt
- Simmer for another 30 minutes.
- Test to ensure they are cooked.
If using canned beans
- Drain and rinse.
Putting it together
- Add the beans to the tomato mixture and simmer for 15 more minutes.
- Toast both sides of the pumpernickel bread under the grill until getting toasty.
- Poach the eggs. This can be done earlier. The eggs can be stored in iced water after poaching, then reheated for a few minutes in hot water before serving.
- Spoon the baked beans onto the pumpernickel and top with a poached egg.
- Sprinkle on some grated cheese.
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