01

🌍

Soil Preparation

Farmers plough and till the soil to aerate it and bury crop residue.

Nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) are added via fertilizer or compost.

02

🌾

Sowing Seeds

Wheat seeds are drilled into rows at controlled depth and spacing.

Winter wheat is sown Oct–Nov; Spring wheat in Mar–Apr. Spacing affects yield density.

03

💧

Growing & Care

Crops grow for 7–9 months. Farmers manage irrigation, weeds, and pests.

Herbicides prevent weed competition; fungicides protect against rust and blight.

04

🚜

Harvesting

A combine harvester cuts, threshes, and separates grain from straw in one pass.

Grain moisture must be ~14% or less. Harvest usually happens July–August.

05

🏗️

Storage

Grain is dried and stored in silos at controlled temperature and humidity.

Prevents spoilage from mould, insects, or moisture. Can be stored for 1–2 years.

06

🚛

Transport to Mill

Grain is transported by truck or rail to a flour mill for processing.

Different wheat varieties are blended to achieve target protein content for specific flours.

07

🔍

Cleaning & Conditioning

Stones, dust, and impurities are removed. Grain is moistened to toughen the bran.

Conditioning (tempering) makes separation of bran from endosperm easier.

08

⚙️

Milling (Rolling)

Steel rollers crack the grain open, then progressively grind the endosperm into flour.

Multiple roller passes (break rolls → reduction rolls) produce fine white flour. Wholemeal keeps the bran.

09

🌫️

Sifting & Grading

Sieves separate flour by particle size. Bran and germ are removed for white flour.

Flour grade (plain, bread, self-raising) depends on protein % and particle size.

10

📦

Packaging & Distribution

Flour is bagged into retail or bulk industrial sacks and shipped to bakeries and shops.

Bulk flour goes in tanker trucks for large bakeries; retail bags go to supermarkets.

11

🧪

Mixing Ingredients

Flour, water, yeast (or sourdough starter), salt, and optionally fat/sugar are combined.

Gluten network begins forming as flour proteins (glutenin + gliadin) hydrate and link.

12

💪

Kneading

Dough is worked to develop gluten — a stretchy protein mesh that traps gas bubbles.

Industrial bakeries use spiral or planetary mixers. Home bakers knead by hand for 8–10 min.

13

⏳

Bulk Fermentation (Proofing)

Yeast consumes sugars, releasing CO₂ — the dough rises and develops flavour.

1–2 hrs at room temp (or overnight cold retard). Longer fermentation = more complex flavour.

14

✂️

Shaping & Second Proof

Dough is divided, shaped into loaves, and left to proof again before baking.

Second proof relaxes gluten and gives a final rise. Scored with a blade (lame) to control oven spring.

15

🔥

Baking

High heat (200–250°C) causes oven spring, crust formation, and Maillard browning.

Steam injected in the first 10 min keeps crust soft for maximum rise; then dry heat crisps the crust.

16

❄️

Cooling

Bread is cooled on wire racks. Cutting too early causes a gummy crumb — must cool fully!

Starch retrogradation firms the crumb structure during cooling. At least 1 hour for large loaves.

17

🏪

Retail / Delivery

Sliced and packaged bread is delivered to supermarkets, or artisan loaves sold at bakeries.

Industrial bread is sliced by Chorleywood process machines. Artisan bread often same-day.

18

🛒

You Buy It

You pick it up at the store, farmers market, or it arrives via delivery service.

From seed to shelf can take as little as 9 months for winter wheat, or less for spring wheat.

19

🍞

Bread on Your Table

Toast it, slice it, dunk it — enjoying the result of ~19 steps across farms, mills, and bakeries.

One wheat grain becomes ~1.5 slices of bread. A single loaf uses about 500g of wheat grain.

🌾 Wheat Field → Bread on Your Table