Did you know there are different types of wheat? There are six main classes of wheat grown in the United States, and they are all used for different purposes — the end product usually determines the type of wheat used. For example, if you make pasta and cakes, you’ll use different flours that come from different types of wheat.
While there may be many different varieties of wheat, each variety fits within one of the six classes. The six classes of wheat include hard red winter, hard red spring, soft red winter, hard white, soft white and durum.
While these might not be the most exciting names, each one serves a different and important purpose.
1. Hard red winter wheat makes up about 40 percent of wheat produced in the United States and is primarily grown in the Great Plains. Hard red winter wheat is a versatile class that serves as a great base to all purpose flour. It has a high protein content and strong gluten, making it a top pick for hard rolls, flat breads (including tortillas), cereal, and for certain types of Asian noodles.
2. Hard red spring wheat accounts for 25 percent of what grown in the U.S. It is mostly grown in the Northern Plains (North Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, and South Dakota). Hard red spring wheat has a high protein and high gluten content. This is the source of “designer” wheat products like bagels, artisan breads, pizza crust, croissants, and other specialty breads. Hard red spring wheat is also very desirable in certain flour mixtures.
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3. Soft red winter wheat is grown east of the Mississippi River and makes up about 15 percent to 20 percent of all wheat grown in the United States. It has low protein and gluten contents. This type of wheat is best used for specialty baked goods includes cakes, cookies, crackers, pretzels, flat breads, and other pastries.
4. Hard white is the next class of wheat. It is grown in the great plains and together with soft white wheat accounts for 12 percent to 17 percent of wheat grown in the U.S. hard white wheat is often used in Asian noodles, pan breads, flat breads, and also for whole wheat flour. It has a lighter color and a milder, sweeter flavor than most wheat.
5. Up next is soft white wheat, which is produced in the Pacific Northwest. Soft white wheat has two subclasses: a winter and spring variety. This wheat is very light colored with low protein, low gluten, and a low moisture content. It is used in bread flour to improve the color, for specialty products like Asian noodles, sponge cakes, pastries, Middle Eastern flat breads, and other cakes and confectionaries. The low moisture content makes flour from this wheat desirable to bakers because it ultimately helps with water absorption in the end product.
6. The final class of wheat is durum. Durum represents anywhere from 2 percent to 5 percent of the United States total wheat production. It is mostly produced in North Dakota and Montana, with the majority of it being produced in other parts of the world. Durum is the hardest wheat, with a rich amber color and high gluten and protein contents. Durum wheat is used to produce pasta, couscous and some Mediterranean breads. Durum is the standard for pasta products.
All six classes of wheat have different purposes and regions that they grow. The U.S. is suitable to grow more hard wheat, while Europe grows more soft wheat. To balance this out, Europe imports wheat from the United States and Canada, while the U.S. imports wheat from Europe.
In general, hard wheat has a higher protein and gluten content which makes it perfect for bread and other products that hold their shape. Soft wheat has lower protein and gluten content and is perfect for softer food and baked goods, like pastries and cookies. Durum is more of an outlier, with it being the hardest with a high protein and gluten content, this makes it perfect for pasta products.
Next time you’re eating something containing wheat, take a moment to try to guess what class of wheat would be the best fit for that product. This can be a great test of your new wheat knowledge!
Michelle Miller, the Farm Babe, is a farmer, public speaker, and writer who has worked for years with row crops, beef cattle, and sheep. She believes education is key in bridging the gap between farmers and consumers.
