Southern Baked Beans (Purtzer beans)

Ingredients:

2 cups white navy beans, covered in water and soaked for 24 hours
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon orange zest, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup or sorghum
2 cups chicken stock
6 slices bacon, cut into 3 inch lengths
1/2 teaspoon salt, kosher preferred

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300F.
Strain the soaked beans and place them in a large heavy pot.
Cover by 2 inches of cold water and bring to a boil, then simmer
beans until they are tender. Skim any foam that rises to the top
and discard.
Drain the tender, cooked beans and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
Place the cooked beans and the 1 cup of reserved cooking liquid in
a heavy 3 quart baking dish or pot, with a lid. I use a really heavy
enameled cast-iron pan.
Add the thyme, orange zest, garlic, dry mustard, maple syrup and
chicken stock to the beans.
Arrange bacon over the beans; cover with lid and place in oven,
bake for 1 hour.
Remove the lid and bake for an additional 45 minutes.
Season with salt and serve from the baking dish