Soft Wheat Wins Hard Hearts

Of all the ancient grains I’ve written about thus far, common wheat may seem like the most pedestrian, if not altogether unfit for consideration. The thing is, there are so many different types of wheat, which is part of the reason why it’s so omnipresent, and also why its so misunderstood. Modern wheat varieties, bred after the 1960s, are a shadow of their former kernels, diminished in flavor and nutrition alike.

Now more than ever, heirloom wheat needs champions, preserving the very qualities that made it so popular in the first place. My fervor started with a bag of soft white wheat berries from Grand Teton Ancient Grains, which challenged everything I thought I knew about America’s most essential yet overlooked staple.

Separating the Wheat from the Chaff: A VERY Short History of Wheat

Wheat’s story begins roughly 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, a broad swath of land stretching through parts of modern-day Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and neighboring regions. There, early farmers gradually domesticated wild grasses into dependable crops, laying the foundation for settled agriculture and, in many ways, civilization itself. The impact of wheat on humanity as we know it cannot be overstated. Over thousands of years, wheat spread along trade routes and across continents, adapting to new climates and cultures.

Why, Where, What, Which, Wheat?

Wheat comes in many distinct forms. In the United States, six primary market classes are grown, each defined by its hardness, color, and planting season.

  • Hard Red Winter: The everyday bread wheat, used for sandwich loaves and rolls.
  • Hard Red Spring: Higher in protein, favored for artisan breads and flour blends.
  • Soft Red Winter: Lower protein wheat for cookies, crackers, pastries, and cakes.
  • Soft White: Mild, pale, low-protein wheat for pastries, cakes, and pie crusts.
  • Hard White: Higher protein wheat with a milder flavor than red wheats, often used for whole wheat breads and tortillas.
  • Durum: The hardest wheat, milled into semolina for pasta and couscous.

Let Them Eat Cake

When it comes to soft white wheat, low protein content is an asset. Protein comes in the form of gluten, which is what contributes to stretchy doughs in bread, but a tougher crumb in more delicate baked goods. Thus, soft white wheat is one of the ideal starting points for creating cake flour. Unlike the cake flour you’ll find packaged in stores, which is usually sifted to remove much of the bran and germ before being chlorinated, very finely milled soft white wheat can achieve a similarly tender texture.

To make the best DIY cake flour from soft white wheat, remove one tablespoon from every cup and replace it with one tablespoon of cornstarch. Sift several times to evenly distribute the starch.

White Wheat, Whole Nutrition

Despite the connotations that come with “white” flour, these are the white wheat berries are the unrefined whole grain. Thus, when milled, you create the seemingly idiosyncratic white whole wheat flour. It has the light, buoyant texture and mild flavor prized in processed, bleached flours while keeping all the nutrition of the bran and germ intact.

That nutritional difference is significant. A 100-gram serving of whole grain white wheat flour provides roughly 13 grams of protein, 11 grams of fiber, and a wide range of essential minerals, including iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and manganese. The bran layer contributes much of the fiber and antioxidant compounds, while the germ provides vitamin E, B vitamins, healthy fats, and more.

Cooking Whole Soft White Wheat Berries

Before you grind all your soft white wheat berries down into flour, you should really cook them to enjoy as is. Pleasantly chewy and subtly sweetness, they’re an ideal introduction to wheat berries for the uninitiated. Unlike harder wheat varieties, which can take longer to soften, soft white wheat cooks relatively quickly and yields tender, almost creamy grains that work beautifully in both sweet and savory dishes.

  • Stovetop Method: Rinse one cup of soft white wheat berries under cool water, then drain. For the best texture, soak the berries overnight in plenty of water, though this step can be skipped if needed. Add the drained wheat berries to a pot with three cups of fresh water and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45 – 60 minutes, until the grains are tender and pleasantly chewy. Drain any remaining liquid and let rest for a few minutes before serving.
  • Pressure Cooker Method: Rinse one cup of soft white wheat berries and combine with three cups of water and a pinch of salt in an electric pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, then quick release the pressure before opening the lid. Drain any excess liquid if needed. For a softer, more porridge-like texture, increase the cooking time to 35 – 40 minutes.

Cooked wheat berries can be refrigerated for up to five days or frozen for longer storage, making them an easy whole grain to prepare ahead of time and always keep on hand.

Milling and Baking with Soft White Wheat Flour

Grand Teton Ancient Grains recommends milling only what you need for the best results, and it’s advice I wholeheartedly agree with. Freshly milled soft white wheat flour offers a completely different experience from flour that has spent months sitting on a grocery store shelf. Once ground, the natural oils in the germ begin to oxidize, slowly diminishing flavor and nutrition, so milling only what you need delivers the fullest expression of the grain. A home grain mill can transform whole berries into a fine, fragrant flour in seconds, releasing aromas of sweet grass, nuts, and warm cereal.

Because soft white wheat is naturally low in protein, it excels in applications where tenderness is the goal. Use the finest grind to ensure the lightest, most tender baked goods. Freshly milled soft white wheat flour can generally be used in any recipe calling for all-purpose flour in equal amounts. When substituting for conventional flour, it may absorb liquid differently due to the presence of the bran and germ, so recipes may require slight adjustments.

Traditional Uses for Soft White Wheat

While soft white wheat has historically been valued not for making the strongest doughs, its greatest strength is in creating foods with exceptional tenderness, subtle flavor, and a delicate crumb. Whether used whole or milled into flour, this versatile grain has found its way into a wide range of traditional foods.

As Whole Wheat Berries:

  • Grain salads and pilafs: Cooked wheat berries add a pleasantly chewy texture and mild, nutty flavor, much like farro or other ancient grains.
  • Soups and stews: Whole wheat berries have long been simmered into hearty dishes, adding body, texture, and nourishment.
  • Porridge and gruel: Cooked wheat berries can be simmered with non-dairy milk, fruit, spices, and your favorite sweetener for a warming, cozy breakfast. Although the word “gruel” may conjure up bleak images of meager meals, the reality is far more comforting. The savory approach can be thought of as a whole grain soup, with wheat berries simmered alongside vegetables, herbs, legumes, and spices for a deeply satisfying bowl.
  • Rolled wheat flakes: Similar to rolled oats, wheat berries can be steamed and flattened into flakes for quick-cooking hot cereals, granola, muesli, and baked goods.
  • Puffed wheat: Through a process of heat and pressure, whole wheat kernels transform into airy, crisp grains used in breakfast cereals, snack mixes, and traditional sweets.
  • Sprouted grains: Fresh wheat berries can be sprouted and eaten raw in salads, sandwiches, wraps, stir fries, and more. They have a very mild flavor and soft texture, making them a great choice for sprout newbies.
  • Beer and brewing: Wheat has been used in brewing traditions for centuries. While barley remains the dominant brewing grain, wheat contributes body, softness, haze, and a distinctive grain character to styles such as wheat beers, including hefeweizen and witbier. Soft white wheat can be used by brewers seeking a lighter-colored wheat addition with a mild flavor profile.

As Flour:

  • Biscuits and scones: Soft white wheat’s low protein content creates the tender, flaky texture these baked goods depend on.
  • Cakes and pastries: Its fine texture and mild flavor make it ideal for delicate cakes, cookies, pie crusts, and other desserts.
  • Crackers: Soft wheat flour creates crisp, light crackers without the toughness that can develop from stronger bread flours.
  • Pancakes and waffles: Minimal gluten development ensures a lighter, softer texture.

Soft Spot for Soft Wheat

The qualities that make soft white wheat exceptional are the very ones that make Japanese soufflé pancakes so captivating. For years, I’ve dreamed of making my own lofty stack of these cloud-like confections, watching from afar as the impossibly tall rounds wobble with every movement of the plate. Although traditional Japanese soufflé pancakes are typically made with cake flour, finely milled soft white wheat proved to be the missing ingredient I needed all along. That, and English muffin rings.

Unlike the flat, compact silver dollar pancakes of my youth, Japanese soufflé pancakes what you get when you cook a classic whipped French custard on a griddle. Their signature height comes from whipped aquafaba folded into the batter, creating an impossibly airy structure that can be measured in inches. Magnificent, show-stopping, and a damned near heroic labor of love, there’s a reason why vegan versions are incredibly rare. They are not quick and easy. They are not beginner pancakes.

Tips for Success

Do not pass go, do not collect $200, do NOT miss a single detail! Please read through the recipe carefully or you’re asking for disaster. Absolutely critical details that even I would probably overlook include:

  1. Sift your flour. Even if your using a commercially milled flour, it’s important to keep it light and free of clumps. For home milled flour, there will be more irregularities and large particles that need to be removed.
  2. Cook low and slow. Do not rush the process. There’s a lot of batter to cook and only a single source of heat at a time to cook it all the way though.
  3. Do not flip. I know, it’s heresy to not flip a pan cake! But in this case, they will flop. They’re too delicate to move until they’re done.

Bumper Crop of Inspiration

Soft white wheat flies under the radar, in conversations about ancient grains, eclipsed by the superfood du jour, despite being responsible for many of our most beloved pastries and desserts. Thanks to growers like Grand Teton Ancient Grains, this distinctive class of America’s favorite grain continues to thrive, preserving flavors, traditions, and agricultural diversity that might otherwise have been lost. For a grain that’s spent millennia feeding civilizations, I’d say it’s long overdue for a comeback.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)2 Comments

Wordless Wednesday: Fried and Fancy Free

Bodhi Viet Vegans – Fried Wonton Cake
Bodhi Viet Vegans – Broccoli Nuggets
Yoshiko – Vegetable Tempura
The Dead Rabbit – Chips
Nori – Vegetable Tempura
Nori – Eggplant Katsu Curry
Mom’s Special Cooking – Tempura Vegetables and Shan Tofu
Community Kitchen – The Summit (fried oyster mushrooms, macaroni & cheeze, collards, seasoned fries, and cornbread)
Community Kitchen – Golden Chick’n Sliders Trio

Hannah (BitterSweet)2 Comments

Nogada or Nothing

It took me years to work up the nerve to make chiles en nogada for the first time. Embossed into my old notepad of recipe ideas and dream dishes, the mark remained indelible and untouched, surviving the migration to a digital file. It’s not that the procedure is terribly difficult, and even in my self-deprecating humility, I know I’m reasonably capable in the kitchen. It is, however, no quick-fix meal. The time commitment is as daunting as the list of ingredients that scrolls on longer than your average CVS receipt. Between the four components (roasted peppers, picadillo, walnut sauce, and garnish), you’re looking at an all-day affair.

Was tackling such a behemoth worth the effort, anguish, and wait? Absolutely. Is this going to be an everyday staple from here on out? Absolutely not.

Proudly Mexican, Through and Through

Thankfully, chiles en nogada traditionally grace the dinner table but once a year, in celebration of Mexican Independence Day on September 16th. Arriving at the height of summer harvests, when fresh walnuts and ruby red pomegranates overlap with poblano pepper season, the recipe is as much a celebration of the land’s abundance as it is of the nation’s independence.

The dish is widely believed to have originated in Puebla in 1821, where legend tells of Augustinian nuns preparing it to honor Agustín de Iturbide after he signed the Treaty of Córdoba, securing Mexico’s independence from Spain. Whether every detail of the story is fact or folklore is still debated, but one thing remains undisputed: the recipe proudly wears the colors of the Mexican flag. Emerald green poblanos and parsley, creamy white walnut sauce, and brilliant red pomegranate arils dress the plate as an edible symbol of national pride.

Essential Ingredients

Chiles en nogada is built on contrasts, with every ingredient playing against another.

Tart green apples, juicy peaches, and the concentrated pops of sweetness from raisins contrast with the savory richness of the filling, grounded by meaty oyster mushrooms and good old fashioned TVP for protein. Tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices, leaning more on warming cinnamon than scalding heat, bring everything into balance, melding what sound like discordant components into a harmonious array of flavors.

The walnuts in particular deserve special attention. Fresh walnuts are noticeably milder and softer than what you’ll find commonly sold year-round, lacking much of the bitterness that develops with age. If you can find them, they’re worth seeking out. Otherwise, soaking conventional walnuts before blending helps mellow their sharper edge into the silky, luxurious nogada that gives the dish its name.

When it comes to picking poblanos, size matters. I prefer medium chiles for more reasonable portions, and making more servings that can be augmented with a side salad for the truly ravenous, but the tradeoff is that you’ll need to dedicate more time to roasting and peeling.

Hot Tips for Painless Prep

Dispatching the poblanos is easily the most annoying part of the whole procedure. My favorite method is tossing them over the open flame on my gas range, turning them with tongs until the exteriors are thoroughly charred and blackened. You could use the same technique on the grill if you’d got it fired up, or roast them in the oven or air fryer. Once they look like proper burn victims, let them steam in a covered bowl or paper bag to help separate the skin from the flesh. Peeling them under cool water helps remove any sticky spots, if you’re struggling. The peppers can be prepped up to three days in advance when stored in an airtight container or zip top baggie in the fridge.

Likewise, the walnut sauce can be blended hours or days ahead and refrigerated until needed. Bear in mind that it will continue to thicken as it sits, so you may need to add more vegetable broth to achieve a pourable consistency.

Of all the components, the picadillo actually benefits from a little time to rest, allowing the fruit, spices, and aromatics to meld. I’d wager you can make it up to a week in advance when stored properly, or, if you’re feeling particularly industrious on a random afternoon, frozen for a much later date.

Chiles en nogada are much more enjoyable when you haven’t spent the whole day in the kitchen laboring over them.

Pick Your Picadillo

“Picadillo” simply means “minced” or “finely chopped,” but beyond that, the possibilities are nearly endless. Every region, and every family, has their own interpretation. Some versions lean heavily into warm spices, others feature dried fruit or olives, while potatoes and carrots make an appearance in others.

This version stays true to the spirit rather than the letter of tradition, replacing the typical ground beef with hearty mushrooms and textured vegetable protein while preserving the signature interplay of savory aromatics and fresh fruit. The result is substantial enough to satisfy on its own, if the complete package becomes too overwhelming to wrap up. There’s nothing wrong in serving picadillo as an entree alongside rice, any day of the week.

Putting the Pieces Together

After all the chopping, roasting, and simmering, putting together the pieces is almost as satisfying as taking your first bite. Walnut sauce cascades over supple stuffed peppers, reminiscent of chiles rellenos stripped down to their most elegant form. A final shower of jewel tone pomegranate arils and parsley adds brightness, crunch, and the iconic color palate that transforms a humble stuffed pepper into a dish worthy of celebration.

Worthy of a Celebration

It’s embarrassing, almost shameful, how long this recipe languished on the “maybe” pile. Make no mistake, it’s an undertaking not to be underestimated, but a scalable culinary summit rather than an impossible feat. Most importantly, the experience of finally taking a forkful out of a plush stuffed pepper genuinely measures up to the effort it took to make it. As a truly festive centerpiece worthy of a special occasion, it’s one I’d consider recreating for Christmas, too. It’s not simply beautiful, though it certainly is that. It’s a celebration of fleeting seasons, regional traditions, and the joy of sharing something made with care. If you’ve been keeping your own list of dream recipes, consider this your sign to finally cross one off.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)10 Comments

Buckling Under Pressure

You’ll have to believe me when I said I laid out the most beautiful design for this dessert. Graceful swooping spirals of jam marbled the batter with artfully arranged baby figs on top. They gleamed, catching the light of the oven, as I carefully closed the door. And were promptly swallowed by the cake rising up from below.

Buckle Up

That’s just what buckles do. I knew this, and even had a passing thought that I should photography the dish before baking, and I still failed to capture evidence. At least, I know that I’ve made the recipe correctly, likely suffering the same initial disappointment of my ancestors, seeing all their hard work disappear into the buttery abyss.

What’s a Buckle?

I like to describe the buckle as a confused cobbler. The batter goes on the bottom, rather than being dropped in dollops on top, but then somehow still ends up on top of the fruit. As it bakes, the cake rises around the filling, puffing and cracking until the surface looks rumpled. Performing an explanation of the name without saying a word, the top appears to “buckle” under the weight of all that juicy fruit. Unlike a crisp or crumble, where the fruit is unquestionably the star, a buckle strikes a happy balance between cake and compote. Every bite delivers tender, buttery crumb soaked with vibrant fruit juices, punctuated by pockets of jammy sweetness.

Fig-ment of Your Imagination

Gifted with tiny fresh figs from a neighbor’s tree, mine didn’t even need to be chopped. You should have seen how cute they were before disappearing into the abyss of batter. At least the flavor speaks for itself, imbued with a mellow honeyed sweetness, amplified by ribbons of fig jam that pool at the bottom in a gooey caramelized layer.

Designed to Fail

If this is your first buckle, take a moment to admire your handiwork before it goes into the oven. The fruit will sink, the cake will rise, and your carefully composed masterpiece will exist only in memory. Far from a flaw, it’s exactly what makes this dessert a keeper.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)12 Comments

Greens of Resistance

Texas is not the place to grow tender salad greens. Sure, the seeds will sprout, propelled through the soil at the barest hint of moisture and warmth, and that’s where they’ll wish they stopped. No amount of water or shade will protect the defenseless little leaves from the ambient heat, bearing down mercilessly and indiscriminately on all those below. The sun does not negotiate. It does not care how carefully the beds were prepared or how faithfully the gardener tends them. It simply arrives each morning with renewed intensity, turning cool-season dreams into compost.

Yet there are still plants that meet this punishment as a kind of blessing. Where delicate baby spinach would wilt in seconds, Malabar spinach thrives. The same heat that sends tender greens into panic coaxes this tropical vine into exuberance. Unfurling thick, succulent leaves on thick red or green stems, they would survive under the most dire conditions.

Granted, despite its name, Malabar spinach, also known as alugbati, Ceylon spinach, Indian spinach, and vine spinach, is not a true spinach at all. It belongs to an entirely different plant family and bears little resemblance to its cool-weather namesake beyond its culinary use. Native to the tropical regions of South Asia, particularly the Malabar Coast of southwestern India, the vine evolved in climates where extreme heat and humidity are par for the course. For centuries, it’s been a vital, dependable source of greens when more temperamental vegetables falter.

Thick and glossy, almost waxy to the touch, I would describe the leaves as being distinctly juicy. The flavor is mild, and while they can be eaten raw, most people prefer to cook them due to their subtly slimy texture, similar to okra. It’s exactly the inspiration, and addition, I needed to make a quick and satisfying soup, as boldly green as the whole garden, condensed into one bowl. Surrendering only to the heat of the stove, those succulent leaves blend into a velvety mixture, brightened with jalapeño, cilantro, and lemon, with a touch of cashew butter for richness. Now, this is what summer tastes like to me.

I’m not a skilled gardener and the climate is less than accommodating. Malabar spinach is one of the very few plants I can trust will feed me well, no matter what. A single plant can transform from a modest seedling into a sprawling curtain of foliage within a matter of weeks. Hope you like spinach, because there’s more where this came from.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)8 Comments