Makes 8 medium-sized baguettes
These baguettes are delicious .. it hits the spot if you are craving a healthy bread baguette without any white flour!! AND it is filled with healthy dried Montmorency cherries, pecans, and sunflower seeds. The sourness of the cherries along with the pecan crunch & the healthy sunflower seeds add to the nutrition of this baguette. Spelt flour is easier to digest and even those with gluten allergies usually can handle it, so be sure to give this one a try. Just know that Spelt flour has a weaker gluten strand in it therefore don’t expect the chewy and stretchy crumb of a French baguette made with bread flour. That is a whole other animal… and can not compare because the glutens are completely different in these flours. So if you want that traditional delicious stretchy crumb then make this with 100% bread flour, if you want a middle ground then make it with 50% bread flour and 50% Spelt flour. But if you were like me and craving a super healthy baguette with 100% whole grain then try it as I did here with 100% whole grain Spelt flour.. any way you try it you won’t be disappointed… Just try it! YUM!!
Add warm water to your bowl & then add the instant yeast & stir to combine.
Add the salt, & the olive oil & stir to combine.
Now add the whole grain Spelt Flour & mix with a dough mixer or spatula.
Knead the dough now by hand & knead to form a nice smooth dough. It will take about 6-10 minutes to do this by hand.
Rest 10 minutes to let the flour absorb the water and help to transform the gluten.
Add the cherries, pecans, and sunflower seeds. Mix by kneading them in well. (See video).
Sprinkle a little flour on the bench and flatten your dough into a disc shape. Then cut the dough with your dough scraper into 6 pie-shaped pieces.
Now take one piece. Turn them over and bring the edges in towards the center. The floured side is always down and you are bringing the edges into the sticky side. Roll on the counter without the flour to make them into a nice round ball. Rest 10 more minutes.
Now shape them by flattening the ball and keep flattening till you have an oblong or like an oval.
Starting from the top, roll the edge over, then tuck in the sides and again roll the top over. Press on the bottom edge to make it thin so it sticks easier when you roll it up. Continue to do this till you have a fat cigar-shaped dough. Press the ends into a point. (See video).
Lay each one on the baking sheet covered with parchment paper to make it easy to clean up. Now cover the baking sheet with a towel and let rise for one hour or until doubled in size. It will depend on the temperature in your kitchen.
After they are doubled in size take a razor blade or lame and slice the baguette dough. Dust with a little flour.
Bake in the 425 F preheated oven uncovered for 12-15 minutes.
Remove & try to let them cool if you can! I never can... LOL.
Enjoy and savor every bite! They are so healthy and guilt-free because of the fruit and nuts and the fact they are made with 100% whole grain Spelt flour. Save some for tomorrow! :-)
