Guide to Whole Wheat, Grain and Flour Basics

Choose the best whole wheat grains and flour for your bakery

By J.R. Glass

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Understand the difference hard red and soft white wheat berries make in whole wheat products

Color, flavor and gluten content are some of the differences you will notice between red and white wheat. Red wheat has a richer flavor and lower gluten content than white wheat, which gives a mild flavor to baked goods. Typically you use red wheat flour for breads and whole white wheat flour for cakes, cookies and other sweet, baked goods.

I recommend: The Fresh Loaf conducted a study using the different types of wheat to make bread. Read the full article to find the results of its experiment. Visit the Whole Grains Council to find the answers to questions frequently asked about red and white wheat flours to help you determine which to use.

Determine the need to provide whole wheat products made from organic wheat flour

The nutritional benefits of organic whole wheat products stem from the growth process. Organic wheat flour producers grow and process organic products without the use of any chemicals including fertilizer, weed control or pest control. Many consumers will pay more for organic products than non-organic, so it may be worth your time and money to provide at least a few organic products.

I recommend: Royal Society of Chemistry provides important information on the differences between organic and non-organic produce. Use it to find out the pros and cons of organic food. For more information on the differences between organic and non-organic foods, including wheat, visit HubPages.

Consider grinding wheat berries for fresh and flavorful whole wheat flour

Fresh wheat flour is higher in nutrients and flavor than wheat flour you purchase. The price of wheat berries is higher than the cost of wheat flour per pound, but wheat berries yield a higher percent of flour, making it a less expensive way to go. While this will make your flour less expensive, it's critical to consider the cost of a commercial flour mill.

I recommend: TheFoodRoots.com provides detailed information on the wheat berry. You can find a comparison of small flour mills at Everything Kitchens. While these mills work for small scale flour grinding, it's a good place to start finding information.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Grinding wheat berries into wheat flour is a time consuming task, even when you use high-speed grinders. If you are considering this option, look into purchasing a commercial flour mill that will grind large quantities of whole wheat at a time.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Pick your grain and flour

The nature of your product line should make it quite obvious whether you need whole grain wheat, whole wheat flour, or a combination of the two.

I recommend: If all you need is flour, visit AgriSeek flour sales or Meadows Mills to find wheat flour producers.

Set your sights on organic wheat flour

If your customers are interested in organic products, or if organic fits the mission and goals of your business, you should test a line of organic products. Plan a relatively small run at first to gauge consumer response, and purchase supplies accordingly.

I recommend: Shop organic marketplaces like GreenPeople and Organic Bean & Grain to find the best deals on organic wheat and organic wheat flour.

Haggle over horses?and flour sales

Grain and flour prices vary widely with the world market, supply and demand, so make the best deals you can get without endangering your supply. Leverage prices whenever possible; in other words, don't be shy about asking your supplier to meet someone else's price in order to retain your business. Do be prepared to follow through and move on if they can't accommodate you.

I recommend: Monitor the Wheat Outlook so that you can buy when prices are lowest, and collect leads from Fuzing and other online marketplaces so that you can leverage one price against another.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Because organically grown wheat must be run through organic flour mills in order to qualify as 'organic wheat flour,' you stand to save a lot of money by milling it yourself if you go through a sufficient quantity to warrant the initial investment in your own mill.

Guide to Pricing and Costs of Whole Wheat, Grain and Flour

Get estimates for whole wheat flour, organic wheat flour and whole grain wheat berries

By J.R. Glass

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find price estimates for red and white whole grain wheat flour

Wheat flour producers grind whole wheat flour from either hard red or white wheat berries. Two main differences in red and white wheat berries are color and gluten content. There is not a price difference between the two types of wheat flour. A 50 pound bag of whole wheat flour will cost between $40 and $50.

I recommend: Bob's Red Mill is a provider of whole wheat grain and flour. It sells packages of whole wheat flour in 5 or 25 pounds. For information on the differences between red and white wheat, visit BNet.

Determine the benefits of purchasing organic whole grain wheat

There is a large movement in the United States of consumers wanting to purchase only organically grown products. Keeping this in mind, it may be beneficial to offer both organic and non-organic products to your customers. Organic whole wheat products are more expensive than non-organic products, because the grains are more expensive to purchase. A $50 pound bag of organically grown whole wheat flour sells for around $60.

I recommend: Eden Foods sells 50-pound packages of organic wheat flour. It also provides many other organically grown foods. Find helpful information about the differences between organic and non-organic products at Organic Food Corner.

Save money by purchasing whole wheat grains in their berry form and grinding them for baked goods

Purchasing white or red wheat berries from whole grain suppliers will allow you to provide fresher, more nutritious baked goods to your customers. Freshly ground wheat berries contain more nutrients than flour that a company ground, packaged and placed in a warehouse for several months. Freshly ground wheat berries also produce tastier whole wheat products. While a 25-pound bag of whole wheat berries will cost about $45 per 25 pounds, it will produce a large amount of flour, saving you money in the long run.

I recommend: BulkFoods.com is a wholesale provider of both hard red wheat berries and soft white wheat berries. It sells both bulk and small quantities of both products. Pleasant Hill Grain outlines the benefits of grinding wheat berries for baking. It is also a provider of wheat grinding mills.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Organic regulations in the United States are more rigorous than standards outside of the US. When purchasing imported organic wheat flour and products, keep in mind that there is no way to guarantee that they are truly organic.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Whole white wheat

Whole white wheat is a whole wheat (complete with bran, germ and endosperm) that is lighter in color and has a milder flavor than traditional wheat. Whole white wheat is often more palatable to those used to refined white flour.

I recommend: U.S.A. Today features an article on what whole white wheat is and why it's a great alternative to other whole wheat products.

Whole red wheat

Whole red wheat is traditional wheat that comes from a reddish-brown-colored plant that has a nutty flavor.

I recommend: BreadExperience.com explains what red wheat is and what its different varieties are like, including hard winter red and hard spring red.

Bran

Bran is the outer layer of the wheat kernel. It is hard and contains most of the wheat's fiber.

I recommend: WiseGEEK explains the nutritional benefits of wheat bran.

Germ

Germ is part of the wheat kernel-the reproductive part that helps new wheat grass germinate. Wheat germ has more nutrients per every ounce than any other grain or vegetable, with 23 nutrients in all.

I recommend: BellyBytes.com explains the health benefits of wheat germ, in addition to giving tips on how to store it.

Endosperm

Endosperm is a tissue found inside the seeds of many flowering plants when they are being fertilized-including wheat plants. It is full of soluble fiber, protein, iron, carbohydrates, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin and other nutrients.

I recommend: The Littleton Grist Mill explains the health benefits of whole wheat and includes information on the specific nutrients found in endosperm.

White flour

White flour is the yellowish ground powder of endosperm. If it is marked 'bleached' because it is literally bleached (with natural agents) to make it appear more white. White flour easily breaks down into glucose and has recently been cited as a poor diet choice.

I recommend: The Weston A. Price Foundation explains what white flour is, what the health concerns of consuming it may be and how you can replace it with whole wheat flour.