As you might have noticed, here at Bob’s Red Mill we have a huge selection of different types of grains and flours to choose from. One of the questions that we are asked most often here in the bakery is the difference between two specific kinds: hard red wheat and hard white wheat. We thought we’d take a minute to give you some information to help you pick out the flour that is best for your baking needs.
What is the difference between hard red wheat and hard white wheat?
The terms “red” and “white” are used to identify the color of the kernel. Hard Red Wheat has a reddish hue to the bran (exterior layer) of the kernel. In comparison, Hard White Wheat has a sandy-beige color to its bran. Though the kernels differ in color, the flour that is milled from these kernels is relatively indistinguishable in color.
Hard Red Wheat has a high protein content while Hard White Wheat has a moderate protein content.
Though both hard red wheat and hard white wheat belong to the same wheat species, they are classified differently because of their color and protein content.
Should I use hard red wheat or hard white wheat in my baking?
Red wheat has a slightly higher amount of protein which makes it better for more rustic, artisan, and generally harder bread loaves. In contrast, hard white wheat’s more moderate level of protein makes for softer loaves such as your typical pan loaves and dinner rolls. In the bakery, we use hard white wheat to create a single-twisted sliced pan loaf that is very soft in texture.
Is there a flavor difference between hard red wheat and hard white wheat?
Yes, there is a flavor difference between hard red and hard white wheat. It's thought that the same genes that give Hard Red Wheat its darker bran also contribute to its nuttier (sometimes experienced as bitter) flavor. The lighter colored bran of Hard White Wheat is thought to coincide with a sweeter and milder taste.
Of course, the best way to discover which flour is the one that you prefer is to test both out for yourself. Here is the recipe that our Quality Control Laboratory uses to test all our batches of flour for consistent quality. If you try this experiment at home, you will find that just the difference in flours makes for vastly different types of loaves of bread. Our Lab uses a machine that makes consistent 1.5 lb loaves.
Test Loaf Recipe
for a 1.5 lb loaf
1 ½ cups plus 2 Tbsp Warm Water (above 80 degrees Fahrenheit)
3 Tbsp Canola Oil
3 ¾ cups Flour (Hard Red, Hard White, or Unbleached White All Purpose)
2 Tbsp of Sugar
1 ½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Active Dry Yeast
Add the ingredients to your machine in the order listed above. Start the machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Be sure to share the results of your experiments with friends and family!
So, what is the difference between Hard White Wheat and Unbleached White?
However, if white wheat is genetically modified and red wheat isn't - perhaps I'll be OK as I have an intolerance to wheat, not just gluten. My problems stem more from the pesticides and chemicals. So organic red wheat might be OK?
*sigh* Guess I'll find out - I'm eating some of the cereal straight out of the box, lol!
Thanks for your help!
Merry Christmas to you too! It really depends on your flavor preference, as both will store well and produce high quality flour if milled. Hard white wheat tends to have a slightly sweeter flavor and may be preferable if you find conventional whole wheat to have a bitter flavor. The main thing to watch for if you'll be milling the wheat into flour for baking is to be sure to pick a hard wheat and not a soft wheat. Soft wheat will have a lower gluten content and will not work as well for a yeast-risen bread. Hope this helps!
Hard Red Wheat is not low gluten, though it does contain a healthy amount of soluble fiber. I could not say if it is healthier than rye or spelt, but if you are looking for a low gluten option, spelt and rye are good choices.
which is winner/healthier between whole grain spelt flour and dark rye flour ?
which has high soluble, lowest gluten ?
I know rye has high zinc which is good.
I can't tell you which is the winner, since I don't know what the criteria is for the "best" option. Spelt Flour has a protein count of 14-18%, Rye has a protein count around 10%. If you are looking for the least protein, Rye is the best choice for you.
1) Light spelt flour(some % of bran, germ removed) - protein level is same as whole grain but doesn't seems to be any soluble fiber
2) Light rye flour(some % of bran, germ removed) - protein level is same as whole grain but doesn't seems to be any soluble fiber
3) Whole wheat pastry flour(bran, germ included) - there is no soluble fiber in wheat so this doesn't as well ?
Isn't it whole wheat pastry flour is healthy because healthiest part of any wheat family is germ and out of three above only whole wheat pastry flour has this included ?
It sounds like your mill isn't grinding it as fine as it needs to. As far as the bread, perhaps you should try adding some vital wheat gluten? That would help with the loaf staying together. Please give us a call at 800-349-2173 to speak with one of our baking experts.
Yes, this is exactly how all purpose flour is made. It's a combination of hard wheat and soft wheat, however it also has the bran and germ removed. What you'd be making when you mill these at home is more like an all purpose whole wheat flour. It will still work great in most recipes, but your baked goods will be more dense than if you use white flour. They'll also be healthier and have a richer flavor, though, so it's kind of a trade-off.
Try one of these, they're amazing loaves of bread that should get you headed in the right direction:
http://minimalistbaker.com/the-easiest-whole-grain-seeded-bread/
http://spicedblog.com/multi-grain-sandwich-bread.html
The terms "winter" and "hard" refer to different things. Most of what you will find on the market are going to be hard berries. If you're just cooking the berries to put in, say, a salad, hard or soft won't matter. If you're milling them into flour, hard will have a higher protein, while soft will have a lower protein. The term "winter" simply refers to the season in which the wheat was harvested and will not affect your recipe one way or another.
So for baking muffins,cakes,cookies could I use a combination of whole wheat and white wheat flour? What would you recommend so that I can get the health benefits of whole wheat flour?
Thanks
Does this hard red wheat contain gliadin? I have found that I can eat gluten but can not stand the gliadin that's in the new wheat - although, from what I understand that is a dwarf wheat.
Gliadin is a new protein that came with this new wheat and ever since it's been hidden in the food chain it's been wreaking havoc with people's health. The author of Wheat Belly has called it the Perfect Chronic Poison.
So, I'm trying to find a wheat that doesn't have it. I really don't know what exactly you mean by a Hard Red Wheat so that's I ask. I've heard of soft red and hard winter but I can't recall a hard red that I remember as I was growing up.
Thanks.
I would not recommend eating our red wheat if you are concerned about this.
I'll be cooking it on the stove. I alternate grains with my meals,
a couple days of brown rice, a couple days of quinoa, a couple
days of barley, etc., and now I have wheatberries. This goes with
beans and vegetables. So are soft white wheatberries good for
cooking with a meal like those other grains ?
What berries do I buy?
Our Ivory Wheat Flour has a high protein content, it makes a great cookie and pancake, but they will be the same texture as those made with standard whole wheat flour. They'll have a lighter flavor and color, but if you want a light and fluffy pancake, your best bet would really be to use pastry flour. It is really best for bread baking.
We are producing seitan for our local charity organization programs in Toronto. The issue we are facing that we are using bleached all purpose flour to get the gluten, it results in being rather chewy and also does not absorb any marination, can you suggest which flour we should be using to get good soft quality gluten and also has absorbing qualities.
Thanks.