Spelt Empanadas

Recipe 30 min plus resting timePreparation Time 25 minCooking Time

Spelt Empanadas

30 min plus resting timePreparation Time 25 min Cooking Time

About this Recipe

Filled with a mixture of Brussels sprouts and apples, these empanadas are made with spelt, an alternative to wheat that creates a simpler, easier-to-work dough than a more delicate and laborious brisée. Spelt dough is not only great for empanadas. You can also use it as a pizza dough or for flat bread (just roll it out a little thicker). Its nutty flavor compliments savory and sweet alike (it’s really wonderful with cherries). Just make sure to prepare the filling or topping ahead of time, as the filling should be cold or at room temperature before adding.

The Benefits

Spelt is high in fiber, which helps slow your digestion and can reduce blood sugar spikes. It’s also high in iron and a good source of protein. Brussels sprouts can promote hormonal balance and liver health, and their high fiber and alpha linolenic acid content may help reduce high triglyceride levels. And apples are good for you in many ways — including promoting digestive health!

Read | BAKE: My Experiments with Spelt

Ingredients

8 empanadas MAKES

Apple & Brussels Sprouts Filling

2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
3 cups (158 g) shredded Brussels sprouts (from about 15 Brussels sprouts)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp caraway seeds
1 small apple, cut into a small dice

Spelt Dough

1 1/2 cups (232 g) spelt flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 cup (180 ml) water
4 tsp olive oil
1 egg, scrambled for the egg wash

Directions

Step 1

To make the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shaved Brussels sprouts and sauté until they are soft and bright green, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and caraway seeds and stir to combine. Add the apples, sauté for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool before using.
Step 2

To make the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk the spelt flour, salt, sugar, and yeast to combine. Add the water and olive oil and mix with dry, clean hands until you get a cohesive dough.
Step 3

Continue kneading the dough inside the bowl for 2 to 3 minutes, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
Step 4

Allow the dough to rise overnight in your refrigerator. For a more flavorful dough, allow the dough to rise for three days.
Step 5

Remove the dough from the refrigerator 20 minutes before using.
Step 6

Sprinkle a clean surface with a handful of spelt flour, place the dough on top of the floured surface, and sprinkle the top with more spelt flour to keep it from sticking to both the counter and the rolling pin. If while you are rolling the dough out it gets sticky, sprinkle a little more flour.
Step 7

Roll the dough out to a 9-by-17-inch rectangle. The dough should be about 1/8-inch thick. Using a 4-inch cookie cutter to cut out 8 circles from the dough. Roll out each circle one time in all directions to thin it out a little more.
Step 8

Heat the oven to 475ºF. Sprinkle a small handful of spelt flour on your baking sheet. Place the dough circles on top of the floured baking sheet. Fill each circle with 1/4 cup of the Brussels sprout-apple filling. Fold the edges together to create a half circle. Press the edge down with a fork to seal. Brush the surface of each empanada with a thin coat of egg.
Step 9

Bake until browned, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.