This week I played with a demi baguette cutting and shaping approach that I\u2019ve seen other bakers do, and I developed a whole grain spelt and wheat sourdough baguette recipe to go with it. (Yeast conversion is super easy, see the recipe notes.) Usually when making baguettes, you divide the dough after the first rise, roll the pieces into tapered tubes, and proof the dough in the long channels of a floured linen couche. With this new approach, you shape the bulk fermented dough into a b\u00e2tard and fully proof it in an oval basket. Only when the oven and baking setup are preheated do you cut the dough in half with a bench knife, press together the cut edges, flip onto that seam, and score. The demi baguettes fit in our Hearth Baker<\/a> or can be baked on a Fibrament Baking Stone<\/a> with a steam pan underneath.<\/p>\n Hearth Baker with parchment cut for the base<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This alternative demi baguette shaping method makes it easier to retard the dough during the final proof, especially if you have a crowded home refrigerator. A proofing basket is an easier fit than a linen couche on a baking tray. The long cold proof will enhance the flavor and dough strengh\u2014and allows for convenient baking the next day. Plus the uniform shape is quite attractive and perhaps a bit easier to do if you\u2019re a beginner baker.<\/p>\n The total dough weight in the recipe is ~710 grams (355 grams each). If you want to fit a higher gluten dough in the Hearth Baker, you should reduce the dough size. For example, our recipe for Demi Baguettes with Yecora Rojo Wheat<\/a> has a high percentage of all purpose flour and the dough weight is 280 grams each. You may also want to try our Whole Grain Baguettes<\/a> recipe with a more challenging high hydration dough and a more open crumb.<\/p>\n This short video shows the novel demi baguette shaping method:<\/p>\n![\"Hearth](\"https:\/\/breadtopia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/20260731_164734a-Copy.jpg\")
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