I’ve officially become that person—the one who talks about grains like other people talk about wine. “Oh yes, this loaf has a bold aroma with a hint of nuttiness,” I say, pretending I didn’t just spill flour all over the floor. But grinding my own flour has turned into this oddly satisfying ritual, and I’ve learned way more about wheat than I ever thought I would.
Right now, I’ve got three types sitting in my pantry: hard red wheat, hard white, and soft white. Sounds like the start of a baking joke, right? The hard white and soft white came from Azure Standard—they had the best bulk prices I could find. The hard red came from Walmart, of all places. Definitely not organic, but I was curious and it was calling my name from that bottom shelf.
Here’s the thing: hard red wheat looks gorgeous, but it’s got attitude. The bread came out hearty but had this little bitter bite at the end that Josh swore he didn’t notice (he did). The dough felt drier too, even though it baked up fine. Meanwhile, the soft white was delicate and sweet, but the loaf cracked like it was mad at me. I liked it anyway, but Josh said it tasted “too healthy,” which I think means “not enough butter.”
Then there’s the hard white wheat—the star of the pantry. That dough behaved like a dream. It held its shape, felt silky in my hands, and baked into this perfect, golden loaf that made the whole kitchen smell like comfort. It’s mellow in flavor but still has that rich, nutty depth I love in homemade bread. Basically, if bread had a personality, hard white wheat would be the reliable friend who shows up on time with coffee.
If I had to pick just one to keep, hard white wins hands down. It’s easy to work with, tastes great, and doesn’t make me want to fling the dough across the kitchen.
Next up? I want to try all three in cookies or maybe pasta once the wood cook stove is fired up again. Because let’s be honest—half the fun of homesteading is turning the simplest ingredients into something that makes the whole family stop and say, “Okay, that’s really good.”