How Biscuits and Cookies Are Made in Factories – Full Baking Process Explained
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A complete look inside the industrial process of biscuit and cookie manufacturing. |
Introduction
Biscuits and cookies are enjoyed across the world as snacks with tea, coffee, or on their own. But have you ever wondered how they’re made at an industrial scale?
In this article, we’ll walk through the full factory production process of biscuits and cookies—starting from ingredient mixing, through dough forming, to baking, cooling, and final packaging.
1. Ingredient Preparation and Mixing
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Precise ingredient measurement ensures consistent biscuit and cookie dough. |
The basic ingredients for most biscuits and cookies include:
Wheat flour
Sugar
Butter or shortening
Eggs
Leavening agents (like baking soda)
Flavorings (vanilla, cocoa, etc.)
These ingredients are weighed accurately and loaded into industrial mixers, where they’re blended into dough. Moisture, temperature, and mixing time are carefully controlled to ensure consistency.
2. Dough Resting and Conditioning
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Resting allows the dough to relax and prepare for shaping. |
After mixing, the dough may be:
Rested to allow gluten relaxation (improves shaping and texture)
Cooled slightly to prepare for forming
Some high-fat doughs are sheeted directly after mixing without resting.
3. Dough Forming and Shaping
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Factories use multiple forming methods to create different biscuit and cookie shapes. |
The dough is shaped into biscuits using one of several techniques, depending on the type:
Sheeting and cutting: A rolling machine flattens the dough, then rotary cutters shape it into circles, squares, or custom designs.
Depositing: For soft cookie doughs, machines deposit dollops onto trays.
Extruding: Dough is pushed through molds to form filled or ridged cookies.
Some factories also emboss logos or patterns into the dough.
4. Baking in Continuous Ovens
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Tunnel ovens bake biscuits evenly, giving them golden color and crispy texture. |
Now the shaped dough enters long continuous tunnel ovens, which can reach temperatures between 180–250°C.
Baking stages include:
Evaporation phase: Moisture starts escaping
Expansion phase: Dough rises and spreads
Coloring phase: Sugar caramelizes, and Maillard reaction gives golden-brown color
Setting phase: Structure solidifies
The entire baking cycle typically lasts between 5–12 minutes depending on product thickness and recipe.
5. Cooling Conveyor
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Cooling ensures biscuits stay crisp and prevents moisture buildup in packaging. |
Once out of the oven, biscuits and cookies move along cooling conveyors for 5–10 minutes.
Cooling is essential to:
Set the final crispness
Avoid condensation in packaging
Stabilize shape and texture
Fans and controlled airflow speed up the process.
6. Quality Checks
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Strict quality checks maintain consistent taste, safety, and appearance. |
Throughout the production line, quality control teams monitor:
Weight and size consistency
Color and doneness
Breakage or surface flaws
Taste and aroma
Automatic sensors also check for moisture content and potential contaminants.
7. Packaging
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Automated packaging keeps biscuits fresh and ready for global distribution. |
After cooling and inspection, the biscuits move to automated packaging lines:
Counted or weighed into pouches, trays, or tins
Vacuum-sealed or nitrogen-flushed for freshness
Branded, labeled, and batch-coded
Packaged into cartons for bulk shipping
Some cookies are also sandwiched with cream before packaging (e.g., Oreo-style).
Conclusion
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Through precision equipment and expert baking, factories produce the biscuits we enjoy daily. |
Factory-made biscuits and cookies combine precision baking with mass production techniques. From perfect dough consistency to uniform oven baking, each stage ensures a snack that’s crispy, tasty, and shelf-stable.
Next time you enjoy a biscuit with your tea, you’ll appreciate the engineering and quality control behind it.