These are whole unmilled hard white wheat berries. Excellent for bread baking.
White wheat is a different type of wheat that has no major genes for bran color (unlike traditional “red” wheat which has one to three bran color genes). An easy way to think of it is as a sort of albino wheat. The bran of white wheat is not only lighter in color but it’s also milder in flavor, making whole white wheat more appealing to many people accustomed to the taste of refined flour.
The term “hard” refers to the higher protein content of this wheat. Higher protein flour is typically preferred for bread baking vs the lower protein “soft” white wheat which is used more for other baked goods.
The term “white flour” has often been used to mean “refined flour,” so “whole white wheat flour” sounds like a contradiction in terms. But it is simply WHOLE flour – including the bran, germ and endosperm – made from WHITE wheat.
White wheat does not contain the strongly-flavored phenolic compounds that are in red wheat. This gives white wheat a milder flavor, and also means that products made with white wheat require less added sweetener to attain the same level of perceived sweetness.
Experts consider red and white wheat to be the same, nutritionally. Most of the nutrition differences among wheat varieties are driven by environmental conditions, such as weather and soil composition. For example, when crops are in a drought, the protein in wheat will be higher and may function differently.
This is the 5 gallon bucket and lid that the wheat berries come in when the 35 lb option is chosen.
For more information on the bucket and lid, click here.
Hard White Spring Wheat Berries
We have compiled some information about long term grain storage (click).
Caroline (verified owner) –
Amazing flavor!!! I tried this grain for the first time. I milled and used 1/2 & 1/2 with regular AP to make my Challah . I’ve been making this Challah exactly the same way since the mid 1970’s. My family and I couldn’t believe the difference in texture, flavor and fragrance. To verify I made a second batch using the same formula and this amazing grain freshly milled. It’s an unbelievable fragrance especially when toasted. The only way to describe it is a rich brioche with an added hint of orange flower water… I make Bernard Clayton’s Pogne de Romans each year and everyone in my family thought it was what I was toasting. Sorry to be so long winded but this grain is exceptional. c
acrew100 (verified owner) –
I am new to milling my own flour so just beginning to experiment. These berries have worked so well in the sourdough loaves and english muffins that I’ve made. So far, I have substituted the fresh milled berries for about 1/4 of the flour in each recipe. They have such a pleasant aroma right after milling and add great flavor to the bread.
bensyverson (verified owner) –
I bought 35 lbs of this HWSW for sourdough, pasta and pizza dough, and am now reordering 50 lbs. Its milder flavor is a great way to let the sourdough flavor shine. I use this unbolted for pizza dough—with hard red wheat, unbolted flour gives the crust a “whole wheat” flavor (not necessarily a bad thing), but the bran in this hard white wheat stays in the background. Overall, a highly versatile and delicious wheat.
Dan S. (verified owner) –
For quite a while, I was convinced that only the hard red wheat is worth paying attention to, so although I had a bag of this white wheat I left it untouched for quite a while. Then, upon reading Dan Lepard’s book, decided to give it a try. Have to say, it was a very positive experience. Totally liked the Kamut-like flavor, the way it handles at very high hydration levels and although I miss the red wheat bitterness in my toast I think there are times when I’d rather prefer this variety (for example, in my no=knead olive bread, where it doesn’t compete with the taste from the olives but adds a contrasting sweetness for good balance).