Hard Red Whole Wheat Flour vs Hard White Whole Wheat Flour

This bread was made with 100% Hard White Whole Wheat Flour.  In previous bakes, this recipe  had called for part whole wheat and part unbleached white flour.  I used all White Whole Wheat Flour (Hard White Whole Wheat Flour) in  feeding the starter and when making this loaf.  It came out great and tasted great.  

What's the difference between Hard Red Whole Wheat Flour and Hard White Whole Wheat Flour?

 Hard White Whole Wheat Flour is a 100% whole grain flour milled from a different version of wheat than conventional whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour is 100% whole grain milled from hard red wheat, while the hard white whole wheat flour is milled from hard white wheat. The hard white wheat gives a lighter color and flavor than hard red wheat.  The terms “red” and “white” are used to identify the color of the kernel and not of the flour that is eventually milled from those kernels.  The red wheat can have a bitter taste, where the white is milder.  The red wheat has slightly more protein which produces a rustic harder bread loaf.  The hard white wheat has moderate protein which makes for a softer loaf. The hard white wheat was originally developed from red wheat.  They created it to have a flour with the same nutritional value but with different baking characteristics. 

The whole wheat flour kernel is milled with the bran, germ and endosperm.  Unbleached White Flour has had the bran and germ stripped away, so it is not whole grain. That is the main difference- one is whole wheat and one is not. Both have about the same amount of protein, but a whole wheat flour will produce a denser, more flavorful baked good. 

My preference?  Homemade bread. Period. Any way you slice it.  :)

~Carol~