Grain
Soft White Winter
C tier
Soft White Winter is a market class of soft white common wheat planted in autumn, with pale bran, low-to-medium protein, and weak gluten suited to cakes, cookies, pastries, and some Asian noodles. It is a major export class from the US Pacific Northwest and comparable winter soft-white regions. Mills produce pastry and cake flours, cracker flour, and soft household blends; whole berries are mild and pale when cooked. Bakers choose Soft White Winter when tenderness and light colour matter more than loaf volume or chew.
Also known as: Export soft white winter class
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Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Pacific Northwest winter soft white acreage specialised for pastry and export flour.
Soft White Winter grades formalised protein and kernel colour targets for cake and cookie mills.
Export contracts to Asia and the Middle East grew Soft White Winter as a cookie and noodle class.
Breeding improved yield and disease resistance while protecting soft endosperm quality.
Climate and market shifts refined Soft White Winter management in Northwest rotations.
Specialty pastry bakers continued to specify Soft White Winter for tender crumb flours.