Wheat
Wheat or triticum aestivum, is an adaptable crop, which can be harvested from the borders of the arctic to the equator. Man has cultivated, harvested and eaten wheat over many centuries, as evidenced by the samples of ancient wheat unearthed at all the world's major archaeological sites. It is said that the Egyptian Pharaohs’ cut the first sheaf of wheat with a golden sickle as a signal that the harvest could commence.
Hard wheat is high in protein with starchy gluten and is produced in regions of extreme climatic variance, such as North and South America, Canada, Eastern Europe and Australia. Soft wheat is low protein with weak gluten and is produced in areas with milder climates. The United Kingdom is been known for its soft and biscuit wheat varieties.
Farmers' select specific wheat varieties to grow depending on the climate, location and intended end use. Winter wheat varieties are planted in the autumn and spring wheat varieties are sown in the spring and both are harvested during the late summer.
Wheat is an easy crop to harvest as it stands erect and the grain can be thrashed from the ear to provide a clean sample free from straw and weeds. In the UK harvest starts in early August in the south of England but can be up to a month later in Scotland.
Each grain of wheat contains three main parts: the bran, endosperm and germ. Depending n how the wheat is milled, various types of flour will be produced. Wholemeal flour consists of the entire grain; brown flour has some of the bran and germ removed, while white flour consists of the endosperm almost exclusively.
At Doves Farm we source and blend the best wheat varieties for each type of flour, so that you see the best results when baking.
Please note: Our organic wheat grain must adhere to EU Organic standards and our own strict, quality measures and as such, may be a product of more than one country.
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