Tuesday, May 26, 2009

A conversation with grains: Soft White Wheat



It use to be that whole wheat meant one thing, hard red wheat. It made a nutty, heavy loaf of bread that some didn't care much for. Then, in 1990, the hard white wheat came our way. It has more moisture and a lighter color and flavor. Now, we have another variety to choose from: Soft White Wheat. It is known as the pastry flour. It is perfect for baking cookies, crepes, pie crusts and pancakes. It fools my family into thinking they are eating white flour products. It is almost as light as white flour when ground and has a very mild flavor. While it doesn't have as much protein as other wheat grains, it does have as much fiber and is a "whole grain". You wouldn't want to make a whole loaf of bread with only soft white wheat but up to half of the flour mixture per batch is fine or if you know the game, you can add more gluten and other tricks. But, let me tell you....these whole grain crepes are simply out of this world and I will never go back to a white flour crepe, even on the special occasions. I could eat these daily. This is a great way to trick the kids into thinking that they are eating white flour junk. This flour also makes an incredible Belgian waffle.


Whole Grain Crepes


Put all ingredients in a blender:

1 cup freshly ground soft white wheat flour (tastes good with other wheat as well, just a little heavier)
1/4 C powdered sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Blend just until smooth. Add more milk if needed. You want these real thin . Pour some batter on a skillet with melted butter, swirl to spread into a very thin circle. Fry them on both sides until lightly golden. Repeat, adding a thin coat of butter each time (I just use the stick to rub some on the pan each time). Fill with fresh fruit and creme.


Where to get Soft White Wheat: Why check my friends out at Preparing Wisely or order from Azure Standard. If you are not fortunate to do either, the Internet has plenty of other options for ordering. Enjoy!

PS: So the cookbook isn't making my May deadline but it is coming soon. May was nuts but it is almost there. Can't wait!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can you use stevia or honey instead of the powdered sugar? -Cindy

Shari Goodman said...

You can use honey or I have even used maple syrup. IT has a little different flavor but it works. I don't sweeten my fruit or cream so the 1/4th cup isn't so bad in comparison to how much crepes this makes. It feeds my whole family of 7 with doubles.

RPH said...

Thanks for sharing! I love your recipes. And thanks for the info on the wheat. I mostly use hard red wheat, because it is what is available. But I wondered what the difference was between them all.

Tracey said...

We are going to do a special on soft white wheat in June. I'll email you details this week.