What Is Hard Red Wheat & What Is it Used For?

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Ear of wheat

Hard red wheat is a type of grain that is either planted in the fall or in the spring. It has the highest protein content of all the wheat types. Red wheat is an imported product, originating in Jordan, Syria and Turkey.

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Identification

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Wheat is a type of cereal grain that is grown for human consumption. Hard red wheat is one of six different types of cultivated wheat.

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Types

Hard red wheat is divided into two distinct types, winter and spring. Winter wheat is planted between August and September and spring wheat is planted between April and May.

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Uses

Hard red wheat flour is ideal for baking breads and is what consumers know as whole wheat flour. Spring hard red wheat has the highest protein content of all wheat types and is also used for making bread, while winter hard red wheat is made into breads and all-purpose flours.

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Other Types of Wheat

Other types of wheat include soft red wheat, hard and soft white wheat and durum wheat. Soft red wheat is used for cakes, pastries and flatbreads. Hard white is used for hard rolls, oriental noodles and tortillas. Soft white is used for non-bread bakery products and durum is used for pasta.

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Red vs. White

When red wheat is turned into bread, it a dark, whole wheat bread; when white wheat is turned into bread, it makes white bread. White wheat was genetically engineered from red wheat, eliminating the genes that exhibit bran color, resulting in a whiter flour and a sweeter taste.

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