Wheat and Flour Testing Methods - WHEATFLOURBOOK.ORG

Wheat Production, Distribution, and Exports
Geographic Production Areas
Wheat is grown in most of the 50 states of the United States.
The kind and quantity of wheat grown varies widely from
one region to another.
Hard Red Winter – Grown in the Great Plains and
California, and shipped via the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific
ports. Hard red winter wheat is an important, versatile bread
wheat with excellent milling and baking characteristics. It
has medium to high protein (10.0 to 13.0 percent), medium
hard endosperm, red bran, medium gluten content, and
mellow gluten. It is used in pan breads, Asian noodles, hard
rolls, flat breads, and general purpose flour.
Hard Red Spring – Grown primarily in the North Central
region of the United States and shipped via the Pacific, Gulf
of Mexico, and Great Lakes ports. Hard red spring wheat is
an important bread wheat with excellent milling and baking
characteristics. It has high protein (12.0 to 15.0 percent), hard
endosperm, red bran, strong gluten, and high water absorption.
It is used in pan breads, hearth breads, rolls, croissants,
bagels, hamburger buns, pizza crust, and for blending.
Soft Red Winter – Grown in the eastern third of the United
States and shipped via Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, and Great
Lakes ports. Soft red winter wheat is a high-yielding wheat
Areas of U.S. Wheat Production, by Class
with low protein (8.5 - 10.5 percent), soft endosperm, red
bran, and weak gluten. It is used in pastries, cakes, cookies,
crackers, pretzels, flat breads, and for blending flours.
Soft White – Grown primarily in the Pacific Northwest
region of the Untied States and shipped via Pacific ports. Soft
white wheat has low protein (8.5 to 10.5 percent) and low
moisture, and provides excellent milling results. It is used
in flat breads, cakes, biscuits, pastries, crackers, Asian-style
noodles, and snack foods.
Durum – Grown primarily in the North Central and desert
Southwest regions of the United States and shipped via Gulf
of Mexico, Great Lakes, and Pacific ports. Durum wheat is
the hardest of all wheat classes with a high protein content
(12.0 to 15.0 percent), yellow endosperm, and white bran. It
is used in pasta, couscous, and some Mediterranean breads.
Hard White – The newest class of U.S. wheat, grown in
California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska,
Oklahoma, and Washington, and when available for export,
shipped via Pacific and Gulf of Mexico ports. Hard white
wheat has a hard endosperm, white bran, and a medium to
high protein content (10.0 to 14.0 percent). It is used in
Asian noodles, whole wheat or high extraction flour applications,
pan breads, and flat breads.
Wheat and Flour Testing Methods: A Guide to Understanding Wheat and Flour Quality: Version 2