Soft wheats are used to make all-purpose flour used in a wide variety of baked products. Hard winter wheats have a higher content in protein and gluten and are often used for yeast breads. Durum is the hardest wheat and is primarily used for making pasta.
Winter wheat is grown all through Europe and in northern Asia. It was brought to the United States by German immigrants from Russia in the 19th century and is grown on the Great Plains often using the techniques of dryland farming.