Baked Bread: how flour is made

Summary

Flour production has been around for over 6,000 years, starting with Stone Age people crushing grain between stones. Today, though the mills are large and process tons of flour daily, the process remains quite similar. Wheat is harvested, cleaned, and milled into flour at a modern mill. The grain contains three parts: bran, endosperm, and wheat germ. Flour for bread must have high protein content, which is achieved through gristing and milling processes using advanced machines. The resulting flour is tested, checked, and then transported for baking, whether in a bakery or store, ready to be transformed into bread.

Takeaways

• 😀 Flour has been made for over 6,000 years, dating back to the Stone Age when people crushed grain between two stones.
• 😀 Modern flour mills are much larger and more efficient but follow a similar process to early methods.
• 😀 Wheat is the most common grain used for making flour, particularly for bread.
• 😀 The UK grows over 16 million tons of wheat annually, typically planted in autumn and harvested in August.
• 😀 A combine harvester is used by farmers to harvest the wheat.
• 😀 Each grain of wheat consists of three parts: the bran (outer skin), the endosperm (food store), and the wheat germ (which can grow into a new plant).
• 😀 Brown bread contains all three parts of the wheat grain.
• 😀 Upon arrival at the mill, the wheat is tested for quality before being unloaded into storage.
• 😀 The grain is cleaned to remove straw, sticks, and stones using sieves.
• 😀 Gristing is the process of blending different types of wheat to create the right kind of flour.
• 😀 The milling process involves machines called plan sifters that use rollers and air bubbles to separate the parts of the wheat and produce flour.
• 😀 After milling, the flour is tested for quality before being sent to bakeries or stores to be made into bread.

Q & A

How long have humans been making flour?

Humans have been making flour for at least 6,000 years.

How did Stone Age people make flour?

Stone Age people made flour by crushing grain between two stones.

How does the modern flour milling process compare to the ancient one?

Although modern flour mills are much larger and process thousands of tons of flour every day, the basic process remains similar to the ancient method.

What is the primary grain used to make flour for bread?

The primary grain used to make flour for bread is wheat.

How much wheat is grown annually in the UK?

The UK grows over 16 million tons of wheat annually.

When is wheat typically planted, and when is it harvested?

Wheat is typically planted in the autumn and harvested in August, after growing throughout winter, spring, and summer.

What is the role of the combine harvester in wheat farming?

The combine harvester is used to harvest the wheat from the fields.

What are the three main parts of a wheat grain?

The three main parts of a wheat grain are the bran (the outer skin), the endosperm (the food store), and the wheat germ (the part that grows into a new plant).

What type of bread contains all parts of the wheat grain?

Brown bread contains all parts of the wheat grain.

What happens when wheat grain arrives at the mill?

When the wheat grain arrives at the mill, it is tested for quality, unloaded into storage, and cleaned of impurities like straw, sticks, and stones.

What is gristing in the flour milling process?

Gristing is the process of blending different types of wheat together to make the right kind of flour.

Why is protein important in bread flour?

Protein is important in bread flour because it helps make the bread soft yet strong when baked.

What are plan sifters, and how do they function in the milling process?

Plan sifters are machines that separate the different parts of the wheat using rollers and air bubbles to create the flour.

What happens to the flour after it is milled?

After the flour is milled, it is tested for quality and then transported to bakeries or shops to be used in making bread.