Hard red spring wheat flour is named for its berries, which are closely related to hard red
winter wheat. This variety is usually grown in the northern United States and Canada.
Planted in spring and harvested in the fall, hard red spring wheat has the highest protein
content of all the wheat varieties (13.5%). Although it is one of the hardest wheat types, it
is widely used to make flour for bread, croissants and pizza flour. Many bakers will add this
to flour made from softer wheat for the extra protein content it imparts to the bread. Like
hard red winter wheat, hard red spring wheat has a reddish colored husk and produces a
slightly darker flour than a white wheat. Spring wheat tends to have more gluten content
than the more common winter wheat varieties. Reds are generally considered more nutty or
bitter than their white wheat counterparts. This can be a benefit or a detriment, depending
on what flavors you are trying to produce.