In article ,
Fran Farmer wrote:
On 29/06/2014 11:48 PM, Hugh Newbury wrote:
I want to grow some wheat to make my own bread. Where can I buy the seed?

There is an elderly (1980) British book called "Growing wheat & making
bread on a small scale" by Hugh Coats and J. R. Stanford published by
Thorsons Publishers Limited, Wellingborough, Nothamptonshire that may
interest you.

It's been a long time since I read it but glancing over it again, it's
full of interesting info such as a twelfth of an acre producing enough
wheat for a family for a year if they are using 4 loaves a week.

I haven't noticed it in the book, but the UK used to grow soft wheat and
for good bread, hard winter wheat is the type that is preferred for
bread making.

There has been a lot of research on how to use soft wheat for bread
making, and a couple of decades ago, someone worked out how. I don't
know the details, but it is usable only on a commercial scale, and
my guess is that it will produce only inferior, supermarket-style
bread. My guess is that mediaeval bread was pretty leaden.

On the other hand, it is fine for cakes, most pastry (not croissants
etc.) and other such uses.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.