Baking the Best: HRS Takes Center Stage in Egypt

Participants of the Egyptian HRS Baking Course pause for a picture outside the Five Star flour milling facility.

When we think of North Dakota wheat, we think of the endless horizon of the Red River Valley or the rolling hills of the west. But recently, our wheat was the star of the show in a much different setting: a milling facility in Suez, Egypt.

U.S. Wheat Associates recently hosted an intensive, three-day hands-on workshop for 30 of Egypt's top industrial and artisanal bakers. The goal? To prove that U.S. Hard Red Spring (HRS)—the "aristocrat of wheat" grown right here in North Dakota and the surrounding area—is the premier choice for everything from traditional Egyptian breads to baguettes, pizza crusts, and donuts.

The High-Protein Advantage

Egypt is a massive market, but it is also a competitive one.  The bulk of wheat imported is used for general purposes, and price is an important factor in feeding a large population.  HRS has found a niche market in the growing sector of artisan and high-end bakeries.  To win over Egyptian millers and bakers, we have to demonstrate the technical superiority of our crop. Led by Master Baker Didier Rosada and his partner Katherine Cruz, the workshop showed these bakers how the high protein and strong gluten of U.S.-grown HRS provides the dough and baking qualities needed for a range of high-end bakery products.

Why Egypt Matters for ND Growers

Private mills in Egypt have purchased over half a million metric tons (about 18 million bushels) of U.S. HRS over the last four years. The effort by USW staff to break into this market began seven years ago when it became apparent that HRS could compete with other regions in the high-quality markets. By training the bakers who actually use the flour, we are creating a pull demand. When bakers see the results of our wheat with their own hands, the demand grows, ensuring a steady, premium market for North Dakota's harvest.

As these Egyptian bakers returned to their bakeries with new skills and a preference for U.S. HRS, the bridge between our North Dakota fields and Middle Eastern tables grew even stronger. 

USW was represented at the workshop by Tarik Gahi, SW assistant regional technical director; Ian Flagg, USW Regional Vice President for Europe and the MENA Region; Nihal Habib, USW Marketing Consultant; and Zakaria Jallali, USW Milling and Baking Consultant.