OSU's New Wheat Varieties Could Revolutionize Clean-Label Bread Production

Image: Oklahoma State University (OSU)

A breakthrough in wheat breeding at Oklahoma State University (OSU) could soon offer a natural alternative to wheat gluten additives in commercial breadmaking, thanks to a new trio of hard red winter wheat varieties with exceptional dough strength. Developed by OSU’s Wheat Improvement Team, the Paradox, Breadbox and Firebox varieties—collectively dubbed the “OX” wheats—have the potential to reshape the food supply chain from farm to table.

The project, which began in 2012 under the leadership of Dr. Brett Carver, regents professor and wheat genetics chair in the OSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, focused on enhancing a naturally occurring gluten protein known as Bx7oe. This overexpressed protein, which increases the production of gluten within wheat cells, was originally identified in Colorado State University’s Snowmass variety and later introduced into OSU’s Gallagher wheat through crossbreeding. The resulting OX varieties shocked researchers by producing a rare balance of high dough strength and extensibility—key traits for breadmaking quality.

“The value comes from having a certain level of dough strength that did not previously exist in hard red winter wheat,” said Dr. Carver. “Dough strength and extensibility are important in making bread, but sometimes, strength and extensibility clash with each other, and extensibility is more common than high dough strength in modern day varieties.”

Bread manufacturers often rely on additives like vital wheat gluten—sometimes up to 20% of a bread’s flour weight—to strengthen dough and improve elasticity. However, demand for cleaner labels and fewer food additives has prompted a search for more natural solutions. The OX wheats may offer that answer.

In partnership with Oklahoma-based Shawnee Milling Company and food supply chain consultant Farm Strategy, OSU is conducting extensive research into the commercial potential of OX wheats as a replacement for vital wheat gluten. Flour from the OX varieties demonstrates unusually high dough strength while maintaining flexibility, offering a clean-label alternative that aligns with both consumer preferences and industry needs.

“The work the OSU Wheat Improvement Team did a decade ago is now the foundation for building a system where the farmer will be trusted to solve a bread problem,” said Andrew Hoelscher, president of Farm Strategy.

Carver emphasized that the OX wheat initiative not only adds value to the end product but also introduces a new revenue stream for wheat producers. “The OSU wheat breeding program is emphasizing something other than yield without sacrificing yield. We are adding value to a crop that farmers are struggling to make money from with just high yield alone,” he said.

Indeed, the first planting of OX wheat in 2023 generated over $300,000 in revenue for the state of Oklahoma. Although the wheat is not yet commercially available, the financial potential has been noted across the agricultural supply chain. Producers growing OX wheat could receive premium pricing, while millers and bakers gain a marketable advantage by promoting cleaner, additive-free bread products.

Farm Strategy plays a key role in integrating OX wheat into the existing food system by partnering with producers to cultivate the varieties, working with mills like Shawnee Milling to develop blended flours, and guiding food companies toward product innovation. “Once we know the value of these genetics, it becomes a question of how we partner with the players in the market to navigate the supply chain to get these food solutions into the hands of consumers,” Hoelscher said.

Still, challenges remain in reducing bread additives, particularly in an industry accustomed to external gluten enhancements. “The baking industry is not used to using wheat flour to solve a wheat flour problem,” Carver noted. “It’s a new strategy that will take time to figure out.”

Shawnee Milling’s Vice President of Procurement, Caleb Winsett, echoed that sentiment, highlighting the ongoing experimentation required to determine the flour’s optimal commercial applications. “We think there is some extreme value to be had with this flour; we just don’t know what that is yet,” Winsett said.

Meanwhile, research continues, particularly into the genetic synergy that unexpectedly boosted dough strength in Paradox, the flagship OX variety. According to Carver, the genetic interaction between the Gallagher variety and the introduced Bx7oe gene remains unexplained, prompting further investigation in collaboration with Kansas State University.

“There’s a paradox in how we got the dough strength from the Gallagher background, and we cannot explain it just based on the gluten protein we introduced,” Carver said. “The breeding hasn’t stopped. We found what we never thought we’d find. Now, we want to hold on to this unique quality but ramp up the yield.”

To accelerate these discoveries, OSU Agriculture has launched a fundraising campaign for the planned Agronomy Discovery Center. The new facility will upgrade OSU’s current Agronomy Research Station to include a headhouse, 12 research greenhouses, and a Research and Education Center. Once operational, the center will support faster, more targeted breeding efforts for new OX varieties with improved yield and resilience.

As the journey continues to bring these game-changing wheat varieties to the commercial market, OSU’s innovation may soon yield more than just stronger dough—it could deliver a stronger future for farmers, millers, bakers, and consumers alike.