1. Wash the beans, but do not soak them. Put them in a large saucepan with the cold water, cover and simmer until they are tender, 1 1/2-2 hours. Add a little hot water from time to time as necessary.
2. In a frying pan heat the oil and bacon. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper and sauté until the onion is transparent. Add the mixture to the beans with the bay leaf, salt and pepper. At this point the beans should still have quite a lot of liquid. Simmer for 1/2 hour stirring once or twice.
3. In a bowl crush 2-3 tablespoons of beans and add to the rest of the beans. Remove the bay leaf and serve.