Organic Wheat Berries (Soft)

Our organic soft wheat berries are perfect for making your own homemade flour for cakes and pastries. It has a higher starch and lower gluten content than hard wheat varieties.

What is the difference between Hard and Soft Wheat?

• First of all, hard and soft don't refer to anything tangible you can see or feel. It has more to with milling resistance and gluten content. In a world where everything is becoming gluten-free we must not forget that gluten content of a flour is very important to determine its final use and performance.
• Hard wheat varieties are high in gluten and give bread dough more elasticity, which results in bread that holds shape when baked. It is also what is used in making pasta. Below is a list of common hard wheat varieties:
• Hard red winter wheat grows in the fall, and is ready for harvest the following spring. Full-flavored hard red winter wheat is the primary grain used for whole grain and whole wheat blends as well as all-purpose flours, making it a great fit for rustic breads like sourdough.
• Hard red spring wheat, with its high gluten content is ideal for breads and tensile pastries like croissants and doughs that rely on a texture with some elasticity, like pizza dough. Hard red spring varieties are typically grown in the spring throughout the northern reaches of the U.S. and Canada and ready to harvest in the fall.
• Durum wheat, also known as "pasta wheat" is the hardest of all the wheat strains, with a protein structure exemplified by the snap of fresh pasta and soft, pillowy nature of Middle Eastern or Mediterranean flatbreads. Semolina, which is often used to make couscous and some pastas, is composed of the leftover byproduct of the durum milling process known as "middlings", coarse particles of the cracked inner endosperm. Bulgur, made from the cracked and parboiled wheat berries of durum wheat, is a staple cereal grain in Levantine dishes like tabbouleh and kibbeh.
• Hard white wheat is lighter in kernel color and with a sweeter, more subtle flavor than hard red wheat cultivars, hard white wheat is typically milled whole, preserving its moderate protein and nutrient content. This type of wheat is used to make tortillas, pan breads, and some noodles.
• Khorasan wheat (also known by it's trademark name "Kamut") is a type of wheat that contains less gluten and more protein than regular wheat. Kamut also provides 8 of the 9 essential amino acids. It is gaining popularity as it can be used to make good bread while having a lower gluten content.
• Soft wheat varieties, with its lower gluten content, yields bread with a fine and easily crumbled texture. These flours are commonly used for cakes and pastries, or mixed with hard flour to produce softer bread. Below is a list of common soft wheat varieties:
• Soft red winter wheat maintains all the flavorful characteristics of the hard variety, but is far easier to mill and results in a finer "soft" texture that's best for products like cookies, crackers, and cakes.
• Soft white wheat is the go-to grain for all of the crumbly, meltaway pastries, yeast breads, and snack foods. Most cake and pastry flours are composed of soft white wheat, which is not colloquially denoted by season like the others, though there are different cultivars of soft white winter wheat and soft white spring wheat.