How It's Made
Key facts
- Name on labels (INCI)
- Wheat Flour
- Also called
- Wheat flour, Bakers' flour, Plain flour, Hard and soft flour
- Grade to ask for
- Hard wheat, 11–12% protein
- Supplied as
- 50 kg bags
Milled wheat, mostly imported grain milled in Nigeria.
What it does
- Structure
- Gluten traps carbon dioxide from yeast or raising agents so dough rises and holds its shape.
- Texture
- Protein level decides whether a product is chewy (bread, noodles), tender (cake) or crisp and short (biscuits).
- Bulk and energy
- Starch provides the bulk and most of the calories of baked goods.
Products on How It's Made that use wheat flour
| Product | Its role there |
|---|---|
| Chocolate puffs | Base. |
| Pancake mix | Structure. Wheat flour gives the pancakes their structure. |
| Sliced bread | Structure. The structure of the loaf. Its gluten proteins form a stretchy network that traps gas, so bakers use stronger, higher-protein flour for bread. |
| Shortbread biscuits | Structure. Soft wheat flour gives the biscuit its body. Little water is used, so the gluten barely develops. |
| Cream crackers | Structure. Wheat flour forms the dough; a fermented cracker dough needs enough gluten to stretch thin without tearing. |
| Vanilla sponge cake | Structure. Soft, low-protein cake flour gives a fine, tender structure; it is folded in gently so the foam is not knocked out. |
| Cream sandwich biscuits | Structure. Soft wheat flour forms the biscuit; low gluten keeps it short and crisp rather than chewy. |
| Chocolate wafer bar | Wafer sheets. Soft, medium-strength wheat flour makes the wafer batter; strong flours give tough sheets. |
| Chocolate chip cookies | Structure. Forms the structure of the biscuit. Biscuit makers usually prefer softer, lower-protein flour than bread bakers, so the cookie is tender rather than chewy. |
| Chocolate cake mix | Structure. Soft wheat flour gives the cake its structure once it is baked. |
| Instant noodles | Structure. Forms the dough; its gluten gives the noodle its bite and elasticity. |
| Chin chin | Structure. Forms the dough. A medium-strength flour gives a crunchy bite without becoming tough. |
| Puff-puff mix | Structure. Provides the structure. Gluten traps the gas from the yeast so the balls puff up light and airy. |
On How It's Made, wheat flour is the base of sliced bread, instant noodles, chin chin, puff-puff mix, chocolate chip cookies, shortbread, crackers, chocolate wafers, cake mix, pancake mix and chocolate puffs.
Grades and specifications
- Bread and noodle flour
- Hard wheat, about 11–13% protein, for strong gluten.
- Biscuit and cake flour
- Soft wheat, lower protein, for tender, crumbly products.
- Fortified flour
- Enriched with vitamins and minerals; flour fortification is mandatory in Nigeria and many other countries.
Handling, safety and regulation
Flour is stored dry, cool and pest-free and used in rotation. Flour dust is a respiratory sensitiser and, in high concentrations, an explosion hazard, so mills and bakeries control dust. Wheat is a major allergen (gluten).
Codex sets an international standard for wheat flour. Products made from it need NAFDAC registration in Nigeria.
Where wheat flour comes from
Nigeria grows some wheat in the north but imports most of what it mills, so flour is one of the country's most significant imported food inputs, and its price follows global wheat markets and the exchange rate. Flour is milled locally by large integrated millers and sold in 50 kg bags.
Sourcing wheat flour through Matta
Send Matta a request with the grade, quantity and delivery location you need. For the wider category, see Matta's commodities page.
Listings found on matta.trade, read 19 Oct 2026. Prices are a snapshot, not live; the listing is always the final word. Different suppliers and grades: compare prices only where the unit matches.
Sodium bicarbonate
Soy lecithin
Monosodium glutamate
Citric acid