Hard vs Soft

Soft White Wheat

Hard White Wheat

I learned something new in the last month. Did you know there are 2 kinds of wheat? I'm not talking red wheat and white wheat, but hard and soft. I like white wheat because it has a more mild flavor and is a lot easier on your insides. Every time I would go to order more wheat I had the option of buying hard white wheat or soft white wheat. I never knew what the difference was so I just bought the hard. Even looking at the two, it's hard to tell which one is which.

But then everything changed when I read a friend's blog about the subject. Apparently, hard wheat is better suited for yeast-based breads, which is a good thing, because that's what I was using to make my bread. Soft wheat is best suited for quick breads and baked goods that use some kind of leavening, like baking soda or powder. It's comparable to the expensive whole wheat pastry flour you can get at the store.

When I was up in Utah, I decided to buy a giant bucket of the soft white wheat and give it a try. I've tried it in tortillas, muffins, and brownies and have hardly noticed a difference in taste. It seems like the soft wheat has a similar flavor to white flour with the added bonus that it actually has nutritional value. I used it in cornbread for dinner, and I suspect that it will be delicious.

I'm excited to have gained this new knowledge. I've been trying to cut out white flour, but there are some things that just taste better with it. Now that I've discovered the soft wheat, I think I may never have to buy white flour again! Plus, buying wheat berries is sooooooooooooooo much cheaper than buying it ground. You can seriously buy about 6 months of wheat for about $20. When you grind it yourself and make your own baked goods, it will save you boatloads of money, not to mention you save your body from all the nasty additives the food industry is so fond of.

So what are you waiting for?? Go get some wheat!!