In the past, flour was made through a process known as milling, which involved grinding grains into a fine powder. The methods and tools used for milling have evolved over time, but here is a general overview of how flour was traditionally made:
Harvesting: Grains, such as wheat, rye, corn, or barley, were typically harvested when they reached maturity. The plants were cut down and the grains were separated from the chaff (the outer protective casing) through a process called threshing.
Winnowing: After threshing, the grains were subjected to winnowing. This involved tossing the grain into the air using a winnowing basket or a flat surface. The lighter chaff would be blown away by the wind, while the heavier grains would fall back to the ground.
Grinding: Once the grains were separated from the chaff, they were ground into flour. In earlier times, various hand-operated grinding tools were used, such as a mortar and pestle or a quern stone. A mortar and pestle involved manually crushing the grains, while a quern stone consisted of two circular stones, one placed on top of the other, with the grain being ground between them.
Water-powered mills: As civilizations advanced, water-powered mills were developed to automate the grinding process. These mills harnessed the power of flowing water to rotate large millstones. The grain was fed into a gap between the stones, and the rotating motion crushed the grains into flour.
Windmills: In areas with sufficient wind, windmills were also used for milling. Windmills functioned similarly to water-powered mills, but instead of water, wind energy was used to rotate the millstones.
Sifting: After grinding, the resulting flour would often be sifted to remove any larger particles or impurities. Sifting involved passing the flour through a sieve or using a hand-operated sifter to separate the finer flour from the coarser particles.
These traditional methods of milling were time-consuming and required considerable physical effort. However, they were the primary means of producing flour for centuries before the development of industrial milling processes, which revolutionized flour production in the modern era.