Wheat cultivars grown under organic agriculture and the bread making performance of stone-ground whole wheat flour

Stone-ground whole wheat flour is characterised by coarse bran particles and high germ content. Five wheat cultivars were grown over a 3-year period in eight organic farms in Quebec (Eastern Canada) to determine their respective effects on the quality of stone-ground whole wheat bread flour. Grain yield (1.2-3.9 t ha(-1)), grain protein content (11.3-13.1%, based on 13.5% moisture) and dough mixing stability (6.9-11.1 min) of whole wheat flour varied much according to the farming sites. Whole wheat flour from AC Brio significantly gave the lowest pan bread volume (P < 0.05) and best results were obtained with Celtic (whatever the farming site) and site #5 (whatever the cultivar, probably with the exception of AC Brio). Thorough wheat cultivar selection and organic field management would be critical to get whole wheat bread with the highest specific volume.