On November 15, Belarus celebrates the Day of Workers in Agriculture and the Processing Industry of the Agro-Industrial Complex. On the eve of the professional holiday, our correspondent went to OAO "Grodnohlebprom" at night to see how the main product on every table is born and who provides the residents of Grodno with fresh pastries for breakfast.

The Night Marathon

While the city is falling asleep, the bread factory is bustling with activity. The night shift here lasts 12 hours - from 19:30 in the evening to 7:30 in the morning. Production does not stop for a minute.

Every day, around 20 specialists start their night shift in the bread shop. During one night, they produce an impressive volume of products - 8 tons of bread, as well as one and a half tons of gingerbread and cookies.

The first cars with hot products leave the factory territory as early as 2 am. Such a tight schedule is necessary to ensure that fresh bread is delivered to kindergartens, schools, hospitals, and store shelves by 7:00 am sharp.

From Sourdough to Oven: A 24-Hour Journey

Few people think about it, but it takes 24 hours to make bread. Everything starts with sourdough - the basis of the future taste and aroma. Water, flour, and malt are carefully mixed and brewed at a temperature of up to 70 degrees. Part of the ready sourdough is sent for dough mixing, and the rest is used for renewal, so that the process does not stop.

Zakvaskhik Elena Korpeychik, who has dedicated 30 years to the enterprise, is responsible for this crucial stage in shop No. 2.

"When we were young, night shifts seemed like something new and interesting. With age, of course, it becomes harder on the body. The most difficult moment is 5 am, when fatigue accumulates and you really want to sleep. Nevertheless, I like this schedule. After two nights, we have a day off and two full weekends - there is enough time for rest and household chores," Elena shares.

The Secret Ingredient of Grodno Bread

When the starter is ready, the dough maker takes over. The remaining ingredients are added to the vat strictly according to the recipe, the dough is mixed, and it is sent for fermentation.

Olga Stasievich has been working as a dough maker in shop No. 2 for 20 years. She is convinced that in this profession, it is impossible to remain without a genuine love for one's work.

I work with the recipe, and my accuracy directly affects the kind of bread that ends up on people's tables. The task is very responsible, so without a love for dough and bread, it is impossible to work here, Olga admits.

The final stretch

When the dough has fermented enough, machines divide it into blanks of the required weight. They are sent to the proofing cabinet, where the future loaves gain volume, and then they are placed in hot ovens.

The browned bread is laid out on containers for cooling. Only after the loaves have cooled down are they sent for slicing and packaging. A shift technologist closely monitors each stage - from mixing to exiting the oven - checking compliance with all quality standards.

The result of the coordinated nighttime work of twenty people is a product that has long been loved by the residents of our region: the aromatic bread "Samorodok" with sunflower seeds and the traditional "Horodnia", with which the morning of thousands of Grodno residents begins.

Having spent several hours side by side with the plant's workers, the correspondent was convinced: working at night is not an easy task. But you can be sure: the company's slogan "Always with soul" was not chosen by chance, and the bread on our tables is indeed made with soul, because people here genuinely love their work.

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