break flour

foodstuffs

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June 22, 2026

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The term "break flour" refers to flour obtained during the initial stages of milling cereal grains, particularly wheat. The milling process aims to separate the starchy endosperm, the edible part of the grain, from the bran (outer layers) and the germ (embryo).123

In modern milling, wheat is cleaned and tempered before being passed through grooved steel rolls. These "break rolls" tear the grain open, producing various separations. The finest particles from this first stage are collected as "break flour". Coarser endosperm pieces, called semolina, and bran with attached endosperm are then further processed through multiple sets of rolls to gradually grind the semolina into finer flour while separating the bran. Approximately 72% of the grain ultimately becomes flour, with different grades produced based on purity and protein content, which affects its suitability for various baked goods like bread or cakes.23

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cereal processing
Milling
…reduced to flour called “first break flour”; a fair amount of the coarse nodules of floury substances from the endosperm, called semolina; and relatively large pieces of the grain with much of the endosperm still adhering to the branny outsides. These largish portions of the wheat are fed to the…
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…reduced to flour called “first break flour”; a fair amount of the coarse nodules of floury substances from the endosperm, called semolina; and relatively large pieces of the grain with much of the endosperm still adhering to the branny outsides. These largish portions of the wheat are fed to the…
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flour
The finest particles, called break flour, are sieved out and bagged. Coarser particles of endosperm (called semolina) and pieces of bran with endosperm attached are then subjected to a series of rolls in which semolina of steadily reducing size is gradually ground to flour and the bran separated out.…
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The finest particles, called break flour, are sieved out and bagged. Coarser particles of endosperm (called semolina) and pieces of bran with endosperm attached are then subjected to a series of rolls in which semolina of steadily reducing size is gradually ground to flour and the bran separated out.…
Read More