FAQ

Q: What is the difference between hard red spring wheat and soft white winter wheat? Which should I grind for bread?

A: You'll want to use hard red spring wheat for bread baking. It has a higher gluten content than soft wheat and that gluten is stronger than what is found in soft wheat. If you want to bake quickbreads, such as muffins, biscuits, pancakes, cookies, or piecrusts use the soft wheat. "Red" and "white" refer to the overall color of the bran layer of the wheat kernel. A good quality red wheat will have a deep reddish brown color. White wheat will have a creamy white bran. When ground into a wholegrain flour the white wheat provides a much lighter colored flour. "Spring" wheat refers to the time of year the seed is planted. "Winter" wheat is planted in the fall. It gets a jump start on the spring wheat as it will germinate and grow a bit before the onset of winter, go dormant, and begin to grow long before tractors get into fields. It is harvested earlier than the spring wheat. Climate pretty much dictates which wheat is planted. Generally, spring wheat is grown in Montana and the Dakotas where winters can be harsh. Winter wheat is grown in the vast Midwest.

Q: I have heard of hard white spring wheat? What is this and does Great River carry it?

A: Hard white spring wheat is grown in an area of Montana and has become known to home bread bakers. It is favored for its creamy light color when ground as a whole grain flour. While some producers are beginning to take notice, it is not widely grown as it is not as productive as hard red wheat. Since few organic growers produce it and there would not necessarily be a steady and quality supply, Great River has not added it to its line.

Q: Why do many whole wheat bread recipes call for white flour?

A: Most recipes call for white flour to increase the percentage of gluten in the dough. (White flour has a higher gluten because the germ and bran portions have been removed, leaving the gluten-containing endosperm to be ground into flour) The higher the gluten content in the dough the easier it is to bake a loaf of bread with good volume. Another factor to consider is that whole wheat flour can have large flakes of bran which tend to cut the gluten strands in the dough limiting the loaf's growth. Great River whole wheat flour would be considered fine by most bakers. The bran is milled into tiny pieces and is less abrasive creating a higher loaf. Coarse flour does add good texture and "chew", so the baker has to decide what they want in the finished loaf.