The wheat grain in brief
A grain of wheat has three main parts. The bran is the outer layer, the germ is the small embryo, and the endosperm is the starchy inner part that makes up most of the grain. Which of these parts end up in the flour is what separates whole wheat atta from refined flour such as maida.
Step by step: from grain to flour
- Receiving and checking. Wheat arrives at the mill and is checked for quality before it is accepted for milling.
- Cleaning. The grain is cleaned to remove stones, dust, husk and other foreign matter before it goes anywhere near the grinding stage.
- Conditioning. Mills commonly add a controlled amount of water and let the grain rest. This conditioning toughens the bran and makes the grain easier to mill cleanly.
- Grinding. The grain is ground. The method used here is the biggest difference between flours, and is covered in the next section.
- Sifting and grading. The ground material is sifted so that the flour is separated by fineness, and any coarse material is dealt with according to the product being made.
- Quality check. Samples are checked before the flour is cleared for packing.
- Packing and labelling. The flour is sealed in packs and labelled with product and batch details.
Stone grinding and roller milling
Two broad methods are used to grind wheat. In stone grinding, the whole grain is ground between stones, as a traditional chakki does. The flour that results keeps the bran and germ, which is how atta is made. In roller milling, a series of rollers and sieves separates the bran and germ from the endosperm, which is then milled finer. This is the usual route to refined flours.
Neither method is simply better; they make different products. Which one a particular pack came from, and how fine it is, varies between mills, so it is worth asking the maker if it matters to you.
How we mill at Chaubepur
At our unit in Chaubepur, Kanpur Nagar, our atta follows the traditional route: wheat is sourced and checked, cleaned, naturally stone-ground, quality-checked and packed in a hygienic setting. The Quality & Process page shows each stage, and the certifications page lists our ISO 9001:2015 certificate and FSSAI licence. You can try Fresh Chakki Atta as the clearest example, or read more about us as a flour manufacturer in Kanpur. If you are sourcing flour in volume, our page on bulk flour supply explains how to enquire.
Not every flour starts as wheat. Besan is gram flour, and ours is milled from cleaned chana dal, following the same logic of cleaning first, then milling and packing. For how a specific product in our range is milled, ask our team.
General information about how these products are commonly made and used. Methods, grades and recipes vary between mills and kitchens.
