Heritage Grain

A grain variety grown before the big wave of modern wheat breeding in the mid 1900s and kept alive by farmers, seed savers, and small mills. Red Fife, Turkey Red, Sonora, and Rouge de Bordeaux are common heritage wheats in North America. Heritage and heirloom overlap and are used loosely, so neither has a legal definition. For bakers, these wheats often bring more flavor and color but weaker or less predictable gluten than modern bread flour.

By Henry Hunter · Updated October 1, 2026

Henry's notes from the bench

• Heritage flours change from harvest to harvest. When I open a new bag, I hold back some of the water and add it during mixing once I see how the dough takes it.