Grain
Soft White
C tier
Soft White is a light-coloured soft wheat class of Triticum aestivum with low protein and weak gluten, valued for pastry, cake, cookie, and noodle flours where pale crumb and tender bite matter. Grown mainly as winter or facultative types in the US Pacific Northwest and other mild regions, it mills cleanly into bright soft flour with mild flavour. Soft White flour suits cakes, cookies, crackers, Asian noodles, and batters; whole and cracked berries cook to a pale, mild porridge or salad grain. Fermented uses favour flatbreads and soft loaves rather than chewy high-volume pan bread unless blended with stronger wheat.
Also known as: Pacific Northwest Soft White, Australian Soft export class, Soft white wheat for noodles and cakes
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Characteristics
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Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Soft white wheat production expanded in the Pacific Northwest for domestic pastry flour and export.
Soft White market identity separated pale soft kernels from red soft and hard white classes.
Pacific Northwest Soft White became a major export class for Asian noodle and cake markets.
Soft White quality targets for ash, colour, and cookie performance guided breeding and contracts.
Club wheat and soft white common types were managed within the broader Soft White complex for export grades.
Specialty bakers sought Soft White for pale pastry flours and mild whole-wheat products.