Santa Fe Chili Bread
Try serving this bread with a favorite Tex-Mex dish, or use to make grilled cheddar cheese sandwiches.

Yield: One loaf
Ingredients
Small loaf (1 lb. bread machine)
- ½ cup water
- ¾ cup fat-free refried beans
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup yellow cornmeal
- 1½ tsp dried chili powder
- 1½ tsp dried onion flakes
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2¼ cups bread flour
- 1½ tsp RED STAR Active Dry Yeast
Medium loaf (1½ lb. bread machine)
- ½ cup, plus 1 Tbsp water
- 1 cup fat-free refried beans
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 tsp dried chili powder
- 2 tsp dried onion flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 package (2¼ tsp, ¼oz, 7g) RED STAR Active Dry Yeast
Large loaf (2 lb. bread machine)
- ¾ cup, plus 2 Tbsp water
- 1¼ cup fat-free refried beans
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup yellow cornmeal
- 2½ tsp dried chili powder
- 2½ tsp dried onion flakes
- 1¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 4 cups bread flour
- 1 Tbsp RED STAR Active Dry Yeast
Instructions
Bread Machine Method
- Have water at 80°F and all other ingredients at room temperature. Place ingredients in pan in the order specified in your owner’s manual. Select basic cycle and medium/normal crust. Do not use delay timer. Check dough consistency after 5 minutes of kneading. The dough should be in a soft, tacky ball. If it is dry and stiff, add water, ½ to 1 TBSP at a time. If it is too wet and sticky, add 1 TBSP of flour at a time. See our Bread Machine section for more helpful tips and information.
Mixer Methods
- Use ingredient amounts listed for medium loaf, combine yeast, 1 cup flour, and other dry ingredients. Combine water, beans, and oil; heat to 120-130°F.
- Hand-Held Mixer Method: Combine dry mixture and liquid ingredients in mixing bowl on low speed. Beat 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed. By hand, stir in enough remaining flour to make a firm dough. Knead on floured surface 5 to 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Use additional flour if necessary.
- Stand Mixer Method: Combine dry mixture and liquid ingredients in mixing bowl with paddle or beaters for 4 minutes on medium speed. Gradually add remaining flour and knead with dough hook(s) 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Food Processor Method: Put dry mixture in processing bowl with steel blade. While motor is running, add liquid ingredients. Process until mixed. Continue processing, adding remaining flour until dough forms a ball.
Rising, Shaping and Baking
- Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to grease top. Cover; let rise until dough tests ripe. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; punch down to remove air bubbles. Roll or pat into a 14 x 7- inch rectangle. Starting with shorter side, roll up tightly, pressing dough into roll. Pinch edges and taper ends to seal. Place in greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Cover; let rise until indentation remains after touching. Bake in preheated 375°F oven 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from pan; cool.
- You can substitute Instant (fast-rising) yeast for Active Dry Yeast. Traditional methods- replace 1:1. Expect your dough to rise faster; always let your dough rise until ‘ripe’. Bread Machines- use ½ tsp Instant yeast (or ¾ tsp Active Dry yeast) per cup of flour in your recipe. Visit our Lessons in Yeast & Baking for more information.
- Recipe featured at Yesterfood.

“1 cup fat-free refried beans”
How can anything “fried” be “fat-free”?
Hi Ed,
Great question! You can find ‘fat-free’ refried beans at most grocery stores. I believe that it’s how they process the beans. They are not necessarily ‘fried’.
Happy baking!
Carol