U.S. Wheat Classes

Characteristics and Applications

U.S. Wheat Associates is the industry’s market development organization working in 90 countries on behalf of America's wheat producers. The activities of U.S. Wheat Associates are made possible by producer checkoff dollars managed by 18 state wheat commissions and through cost-share funding provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. For more information, visit www.uswheat.org or contact your state wheat commission.

The Six U.S. Wheat Classes

Soft Red Winter Wheat

Characteristics

• Soft endosperm• Red bran• Protein content ranges from 8% to 11%• Weak gluten• Normally the lowest priced U.S. class

Soft Red Winter WheatTypical Applications

• Pastries, cakes, cookies• Crackers, pretzels• Blending flours to reduce

gluten strength

Soft Red Winter Growing Region

• Some soft red winter is exported from the Great Lakes and from the Atlantic, but most is shipped from the Mississippi River ports.

Soft White Wheat

• Soft endosperm• White bran - excellent flour color at higher extraction rates• Protein content ranges from 8.5% to 11.5%• Weak gluten• Low moisture, low impurity level give excellent milling

results

Characteristics

Soft White Wheat

• Cakes, biscuits, pastries• Snack foods• Wafers and cones• Flat breads• Crackers• Blends for Asian style noodles• Blends for “mellowing” stronger wheats

Typical Applications

Soft White Growing Region

• Virtually all Soft White is grown in the Pacific Northwest.

Soft White SubclassesThree Subclasses

Soft White: Triticum Estivum (common wheat) with white bran and soft endosperm. Also known as “Common Soft White”.

White Club: Triticum Compactum (club wheat) with white bran and soft endosperm.

Western White: A blend of White Club with Soft White having at least 10% White Club.

Soft White SubclassesFunctional Differences

• Soft White

• Often used “as is” for all typical soft wheat applications.

• Low to medium-low gluten strength.

• White Club

• Very soft endosperm.

• Very weak gluten.

• Excellent cake quality.

• Not normally exported “as is”. Most often exported as a component of Western White.

• Western White

• The presence of White Club in this blend weakens the gluten strength further.

• Western White is prized for its cake baking quality at an economical price.

Hard Red Winter Wheat

Characteristics

• Medium hard endosperm• Red bran• Protein content ranges from 9.5% to 13.5%• Medium gluten content and mellow gluten; very

versatile in a wide variety of applications

Hard Red Winter WheatTypical Applications

• Panned breads• Oriental noodles• Flat breads• General purpose flour

Hard Red Winter Growing Region

• Exported mainly via the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Northwest, and California.

• There are quality differences for the three growing regions.

Pacific Northwest

Gulf of Mexico

California

Characteristics

• Hard endosperm• Red bran• Protein content ranges from 12% to 15%• Strong gluten with good extensibility• High water absorption• Excellent “improver wheat” in blends

Hard Red Spring Wheat

Hard Red Spring WheatTypical Applications

• Panned breads• Hearth breads, rolls, and buns• Hamburger buns• Pizza• Strong (alkaline) oriental noodles• Variety breads• Improver flour in blends for a large

variety of products

Hard Red Spring Growing Region

• Exported mainly via the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Northwest, and the Great Lakes.

• There are quality differences for the two growing regions.

Pacific Northwest

Gulf of Mexico

Great Lakes

Hard Red Spring Subclasses

Three subclasses, determined by vitreous kernel content (usually abbreviated DHV)

Dark Northern Spring (DNS): >75% DHV

Northern Spring (NS): 25%-75% DHV

Red Spring (RS): <25% DHV

• Most common specification is “NS/DNS”

• DHV is related to protein content

• DHV is also thought (by some) to relate to protein quality

Durum Wheat

Characteristics

• Very hard, yellow endosperm

• White bran

• Protein content ranges from 11% to 15%

Durum WheatTypical Applications

• Pasta• Couscous• Some Mediterranean breads

Durum Growing Regions

• Exported mainly via the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes, and California.

• There are quality differences for the two growing regions.

Northern Great Plains

Desert Southwest

Durum Subclasses

Three subclasses, determined by hard vitreous amber kernel content (usually abbreviated HVAC)

Hard Amber Durum (HAD): >75% HVAC

Amber Durum (AD): 60%-75% HVAC

Durum (D): <60% HVAC

• HVAC is also related to the semolina extraction rate in the mill.

Hard White Wheat

Characteristics

• Hard white endosperm• White bran• Protein content ranges from 10% to 15%• Majority used domestically; only limited quantities

available

Hard White WheatTypical Applications

• Asian noodles• Whole wheat white flour• Whole wheat pan and flat breads

Hard White Growing Regions

• Hard White is very limited in available supply, especially higher protein levels.

• Some exports via the Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Northwest and California.

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