Hard Red Winter Wheat

Hard red winter wheat is planted in the fall, sits through winter, and is harvested the next summer. It's the largest US wheat class and is grown mostly across the Great Plains. It has moderate to fairly high protein and a reddish bran, and it's the workhorse behind a lot of all-purpose and bread flour. In whole wheat form it has the familiar, hearty wheat flavor many people know from whole wheat bread.

By Henry Hunter · Updated October 1, 2026

Henry's notes from the bench

• Hard red winter is a great all-rounder for home milling. It's strong enough for bread but not so tight that it fights you, which makes it a good berry to learn on.