Bread has been a beloved and popular food worldwide since ancient times and is often regarded as a staple food in various regions. With a long history globally, bread has a complex production process and comes in numerous forms, each type possessing its own unique flavor. Over time, bread has evolved from simple varieties to a wide array of types. The production of bread combines precise scientific techniques with continuous artistic innovation. This article will explore the history of bread-making, modern production methods, basic ingredients, preparation techniques, and solutions to common issues.

Bread comes in a wide variety of types, which can be categorized as follows:

A:Yeast-leavened bread: The most common and popular type, including Brioche, Bagel, Baguette (French stick/French bread), Croissant, English Muffin, etc.

B:Unleavened bread: Banana bread, soda bread.

C:Flatbread: Tortillas, naan, pita, papadam, paratha, himbasha.

D:Artisan bread: French baguette, sourdough bread, whole wheat bread, sweet bread.

Bread first appeared around 10,000 years ago in the Middle East, boasting a long history. Initially, humans made bread simply by grinding grains into powder, mixing them with water, and steaming the mixture to form flatbreads. Around 3000 BCE, wild yeast discovered in ancient Egypt was first used to ferment bread. Later, the Roman Empire began large-scale adoption of leavening techniques for commercial bakeries. By the Middle Ages, bread had become a staple in daily human life. From the 18th–19th centuries onward, the rapid development of mechanization led to the integration of commercial mechanical mills with industrial bread-making equipment, enabling large-scale bread production.

Modern bread production has become highly industrialized. The main advantages of modern automated industrial production are:

1:With the support of machinery, the speed of mixing, shaping, and baking can be increased, thereby improving production efficiency.

2:Fermentation time is controlled, resulting in more consistent quality.

3:To extend shelf life, certain preservatives and dough conditioners are added.

This industrialized bread production method is particularly suitable for large-scale bakeries. By utilizing modern machines to mix flour and commercial yeast, along with intelligent PLC control systems to precisely regulate temperature and humidity, uniform products can be manufactured.

Raditional handmade bread also possesses many appreciated charms. Its main advantages lie in the fact that the dough is mixed and kneaded by hand, crafted through the baker's rich experience and intuition. The fermentation process using natural yeast or sourdough starter is typically slower, which gives the bread a more complex flavor and better texture.

Flour: Flour is a key ingredient in bread production, with wheat flour being the most common type. The protein in wheat flour—Gluten—gives bread its structure and elasticity. The higher the gluten content in the bread, the chewier the final product will be. Other types of flour available on the market, such as whole wheat flour, rye flour, and bread flour, can also be used for making bread.

Water: Water plays a crucial role in activating the flour and yeast, and its quantity significantly affects the texture of the dough. A dough with less water will be smaller and denser, while a dough with more water will be softer and more pliable.

Yeast: Yeast is a microorganism that ferments the sugars in the dough, producing carbon dioxide gas. This gas causes the dough to rise, making the bread light and airy. There are two main types of yeast used in dough preparation: active dry yeast and instant yeast. Active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in warm water before use, while instant yeast can be added directly to the dry ingredients. A sourdough starter—a mixture of flour and water fermented with wild yeast and bacteria—can also be used to leaven bread.

Salt and sugar are also essential components that determine the flavor of bread, and their proportions must be carefully balanced.

Step 1: Preparing Ingredients

Prepare the ingredients (flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar). The flour should be kept at 25-30°C to better activate it. Have the salt and sugar ready for use.  

Step 2: Mixing & Kneading  

Evenly mix the flour, water, yeast, and salt into a dough. The OrangeMech dough mixer  allows one-touch time settings for mixing, ensuring the dough is uniformly kneaded to develop gluten, making the bread increasingly elastic.  

Step 3: First Fermentation (Bulk Rise) 

Place the mixed dough in a warm location for 1-2 hours. Once the dough has expanded, fermentation is successful, and air pockets will form.  

Step 4: Dividing & Shaping 

The fermented dough can be divided into uniform pieces or rolled into shapes using a dough dividing and rounding machine 

Step 5: Second Fermentation (Proofing)

Shape the divided dough and ferment it again (30-60 minutes) to improve texture.  

Step 6: Preparing for Baking 

Before baking, score a cross on the surface of the proofed bread. This is not only for aesthetics but also to better control expansion during baking.  

Step 7: Baking 

Once everything is ready, place the bread in the oven and bake at 200-300°C until the crust hardens and the interior sets. For small-scale baking, the OrangeMech multi-layer oven is a convenient and safe baking solution. 

Step 8: Cooling 

The final step: Allow the bread to cool for at least 30 minutes after removing it from the oven to ensure it fully sets. 

In view of the summary of the process from flour to bread in the above article, if you need a dough mixer, dough dividing and rounding machine, or multi-layer oven equipment in your bread making process, please leave us your contact information. We, a one-stop service manufacturer of food processing equipment with more than ten years of experience, will provide you with professional services.