Flour is a soft, dry powder that is usually ground from grain, though it can also be made from vegetables, fruits, legumes or nuts. Its primary use is in baked goods, to thicken soups, stews or gravies, and to coat meats and fish as a breading. Most flour is milled through high speed steel rollers and mesh sifters. The rollers crack the grain, allowing the endosperm to be separated from the bran and the germ. For wholegrain flours, the germ and bran are returned to the flour at the end of the process.