End-use quality is vital to the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) industry. Understanding the genetics of components of quality is needed for efficient genetic improvement. Our objectives were to determine the genetics of soft wheat quality in a population derived from soft wheat cultivars and to validate the results. We developed 171 families from the cross 'Foster' x Pioneer '25R26' and obtained quality data from four environments. We assessed flour yield (FY) and flour protein (FP), softness equivalent (SE), and water (WA), sodium carbonate (SO), sucrose (SU), and lactic acid (LA) solvent retention capacities (SRGs). Families were genotyped with markers and quantitative trait loci (OTL) analyses were performed. All traits were heritable (0.71-0.93) and transgressive segregants were noted. The traits FY, WA, SO, and SU were correlated to one another as were SE and FP. A total of 29 OTL were detected from 11 genomic regions. Ouantitative trait loci for correlated traits were generally coincident. Two regions of chromosome 1B had the greatest effect on WA, SO, FY, and LA (r^ = 0.23 to 0.30); these OTL appeared to be associated with the 1BL.1RS rye (Sécale céréale L.) translocation and the Glu-B1 locus. A region of chromosome 2B had the greatest effect on FP, SE, and SU (r^ = 0.13 to 0.23). The 1B and 2B OTL were validated in crosses between each of the original mapping parents and 'Hopewell'. We documented the relative importance for soft wheat quality of two known regions of 1B and report on a novel OTL on 2B. Marker-assisted selection for these three regions could have a significant impact on soft wheat quality. ).Abbreviations: 25xF, Pioneer Hi-bred variety 25R26 x Foster; 25xH, Pioneer Hi-bred variety 25R26 X Hopewell; FxH, Foster X Hopewell; FP, flour protein; FY, flour yield; LA, lactic acid solvent retention capacity; LOD, logarithm of the odds; OARDC, Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; QTL, quantitative trait loci; RIL, recombinant inbred line; SE, softness equivalent; SO, sodium carbonate solvent retention capacity; SRC, solvent retention capacity; SSR, simple sequence repeat; SU, sucrose solvent retention capacity; WA, water solvent retention capacity. W HEAT (Triticum aestivum L.) is a primary cereal consumed by humans around the world. All wheat products require flours with a specific composition and rheological functionality that are collectively referred to as quality. Baking quahty of wheat is governed mainly hy two general characteristics, gluten strength and water absorption, that are each aflfected by multiple components. The milhng quality of wheat also is governed by two characteristics, flour yield and flour particle size. Understanding the genetics of the diflerent components of quality would facilitate breeding to improve this complex trait.Gluten strength is determined primarily by the concentration of flour protein and the ability of the proteins to form viscoelastic networks. The majority of storage proteins in wheat are composed of gliadins (pro...