I use a 50/50 blend of hard red wheat and hard white wheat. Why? Well.....
Hard red wheat (called hard red winter wheat or hard red spring wheat - depends on when it's planted) is what has traditionally been used by bread makers. I love the nutty flavor and the way it gives a little crunch and texture to the bread.So, why add in the white wheat? Hard white wheat, while nutritionally equivalent to hard red wheat, bakes up a little lighter and fluffier (similar to white flour) and is also a little bit gentler on the digestive tract even though it is just as high in fiber. I found this great link to read more about white wheat. I have made bread with 100% hard white wheat but I just prefer the 50/50 blend. I originally started mixing it to help my kids get onto the hard red wheat without being too hard on their little tummies and we liked it so much we never went back to using just the red. You can experiment if you have access to both and see what you like.
Where can you buy wheat? If you are Mormon, you can buy from your closest cannery. Our church buys up wheat in large supply and sells it to us at a very cheap price to encourage us to gather a food storage for our families. If you are just starting out, you may ask a Mormon friend if you can buy a can of each type of wheat from them. It's very cheap and would be a great way for you to start out without spending a lot of money.
You can also click here and order directly from the church. I believe that shipping is free but they only sell a couple of long-term supply items (hard red winter wheat and rice, I think).
Other places to order in bulk include Walton Feed and also Emergency Essentials.
Recently, I also remember seeing large bags of whole wheat at Wal-Mart in the baking isle under the flour. You could probably check with your local grocery store and they may be willing to order some in for you. I've found that small grocers are often willing to "go the extra mile" for their customers.
I'm sure there are various other places to buy if you do a search online. I like to use Nextag.com to find the best rates on the same item at various sites. I will be posting a recipe eventually as I do a series of blogs on "Making Your Own Bread" and if you only have access to one type of wheat, you can certainly use it instead of a blend.
