Azuma Kazuma is an aspiring baker who has left his small town for Tokyo to fight for his dream of making a bread for all Japan. The story starts when Azuma is 5, living in the country with his grandfather, a rice farmer, and his sister. Although his family only eats rice, as they are rice farmers, Azuma's sister wishes to eat bread for once. Azuma's grandfather refuses, and Azuma has to make a bread that even his grandfather will eat. Little do they know, Azuma has the legendary "Solar Hands". These allow bread to ferment more quickly, and he is able to make a bread that his grandfather loves. 10 years later, he travels to Tokyo to compete in the Pantasia recruitment competition, to try to be accepted to Pantasia, the best bakery in Japan. The test uses a 10 point system, but Azuma immediately loses 5 points due to being late...

At the beginning of the episode, Azuma quickly loses another 2 points for his hair being messy & another 2 for (inadvertently) insulting the examiner. He is given a hairband by a girl who is in the competition. Azuma then meets Kawachi Kyosuke, another applicant. Compared to Azuma, who is relatively simple and has only ever made Japan (bread), Kawachi is quite knowledgeable about bread. As he sees Azuma kneading his bread, he determines that Azuma has the Solar Hands. After tasting a sample of Azuma's bread, he realizes that Azuma is strong competition and must lose quickly. While Azuma is preparing his dough, he rolls a rolling pin behind Azuma, which Azuma slips on, ruining his bread. However, Azuma rebounds to make a Mount Fuji-shaped bread, and gains two points back - comparatively, the strongest competitor otherwise, Suwabara Kai, has a zero point deduction.

The competition is down to four finalists - Azuma, Kawachi, Suwabara, and the girl who gave Azuma the hairband, whose name is Tsukino. Their challenge is to bake a croissant, but as revealed at the end of the previous episode, Azuma does not even know what a croissant is. Azuma and Kawachi agree to bake one together in secret even though it's against the rules. Azuma realizes that he has made a similar Japan, Japan 43. When Kawachi tells him that a standard croissant is 54 layers, Azuma says that this is too little, and that it should be 324 layers, which would be burnt to a crisp if baked. However, there is a secret behind the bread, and Kawachi reluctantly agrees to make it. It's the day of the finals, and Azuma is missing. But first, there is a surprise in store: Tsukino is the granddaughter of Pantasia's owner, and the owner of the Southern Tokyo Branch. Kawachi beats Suwabara with Azuma's croissant, but Azuma never shows up. It is revealed that Azuma dropped out because of Kawachi's siblings - Kawachi had earlier lied to Azuma, claiming that they were homeless. Kawachi, feeling guilty, gives up his employment at the Main Branch, but then both he and Azuma are hired by Tsukino and the Southern Tokyo Branch.

It's Azuma and Kawachi's first day of work at the Southern Tokyo Branch of Pantasia. Tsukino, their new supervisor, teaches Kazuma how to make French bread. When they hear that the manager, afro-sporting Ken Matsushiro, must sample it before it can be sold in the bakery, they seek him out at a horse race track. Instead of tasting the bread, he throws it to a horse, who will eat it or reject it. He tells the two of them to make a bread delicious enough to be eaten by a horse. When they return to the store, Tsukino tells them his story - his sister nearly died from eating bread because of an unknown allergy to dairy. He therefore aims to make a bread that anyone, even someone with allergies, can eat. Horses will eat this type of bread because although they love wheat, they hate butter and dairy products.

Azuma and Kawachi are attempting to create a bread that tastes delicious, but has no possible allergens like butter and milk, and their job is on the line. Azuma calls his sister, who suggests (and brings) the exact ingredient to help him stay at the store - goat's milk, which Azuma makes into butter. Kawachi uses oats in his bread, and the horse accepts it. However, when fed Azuma's bread, the horse strongly rejects it. Ken and Kawachi eat Azuma's bread, and find it to be delicious. As well, the goat's milk that Azuma used eliminates the main allergen in milk, making it a bread that fits the manager's request. Both Azuma and Kawachi keep their jobs.

Azuma and Kawachi are wondering why the store doesn't get more customers when the main store has lines dragging on and on. When they ask Ken, he points out that the main branch of St. Pierre, a rival bakery, is across the street. Soon, they meet the manager, a very effeminate man (it is strongly insinuated that he is gay) named Mokoyama, who is about to release St. Pierre's new line of bread. However, Ken tells Mokoyama Azuma is a much better baker, and he challenges the St. Pierre branch to a duel: Azuma's newest Japan against his new line. St. Pierre accepts, but the main Pantasia branch knows nothing about the challenge, or Azuma's new Japan, and their entire reputation is resting on their newest employee - especially since the duel will be broadcast on television.

The Bread Duel begins. Mokoyama unveils his new bread first, Kougin Pudding Amman, a pudding-filled butter roll. It is made using the highest quality ingredients, and all of the judges give it a perfect score. Then, it's Azuma's turn. His bread, which is fried, seems to go over well with the judges; he took leftover bread and fried it in a special sauce to make it soft again. However, the judges note that it is made from leftovers, and that people will not want to eat it. In the nick of time, the general manager of Pantasia appears, and asks the judges to take price into consideration. Mokoyama announces that the price of his bread will be 190 yen, only slightly higher than a normal butter roll, which is a good deal because of the high-quality ingredients. Then Azuma declares his price - 0 yen. This excites the crowd, and the judges give his bread a perfect score as well - it's a draw.

An invitation is sent to the two newest members of the Southern Tokyo Branch, for the annual "Newcomers Competition" - a tournament of every Pantasia newcomer. Their preliminary challenge is to make dinner bread that will last for three weeks without growing mold. Azuma automatically thinks of a previous Ja-pan, and offers to help Kawachi make it with him. However, Kawachi wants to do it on his own this time, so Tsukino suggests helping him get the legendary solar hands. Although confused as to how, Kawachi accepts the challenge. The special training is swimming - Kawachi is to swim many laps in a pool, with weights around his stomach. Kawachi goes into training, while Azuma decides to go to Izu to get an ingredient... by running. Izu is 3-5 hours away by train.

The newcomer duet is still working on their bread for the competition. Kawachi is in intense training to increase his muscle mass and obtain Solar Gauntlets. Azuma, understandably, faints on his way to Izu, but finds what he needs at a sushi restaurant he collapses near - wasabi. Meanwhile, Kawachi is trying to find his ingredients, so he can fulfill his deceased father's dream of working at the main branch of Pantasia, but feels sorry for himself. Ken Matsushiro tells him to stop being such a baby by dumping his liquor on him. Ken actually intended to give Kawachi the idea of using alcohol in his bread, and Kawachi gets the idea, making his Osaka-pan.

Kazuma and Kyousuke had made it past the preliminary rounds. Kazuma had finished creating his "secret weapon" with the help of Grandpa Umasaburou and baked his ultimate Japan #44 to thank him. The day of Pantasia Newcomers Battle has finally arrived, but Kazuma overslept. He barely made it and Kuroyanagi scolded him by shouting "You're late!! That's 5 points off!!".

Kazuma chose the worst possible butter and baked a dinner roll which was thought by Kuroyanagi to taste the worst but it seems that Kazuma has just pulled off a miracle.

Kazuma was initially disqualified along with other 13 people who chose the same butter as him (i.e.: butter C, revealed to be margarine) by Kuroyanagi, however Kazuma was re-admitted into the Newcomers' battle after Kuroyanagi tasted his butter rolls. This episode also introduces Mizuno Azusagawa, Tsukino's younger and bratty sister, along with the animosity between the two sisters. Near the end, after Kazuma and Kyosuke learned about the issue between the Azusagawa sisters from their manager, they decided to give their best to win the Newcomers' battle to support Tsukino. Mizuno also sets up a gamble in which if Kazuma loses to her, he will have to transfer to Mizuno's new Tokyo Pantasia branch, however should Kazuma win, Mizuno has to begin respecting Tsukino as her older sister.

Kazuma had made a bet with Mizuno, Tsukino's sister but he's totally clueless on baking melon buns. The sushi shop owner whom Kazuma met when he fainted arrived at the main branch to treat them to some sushi. While observing him, Kazuma got an idea on how to create Japan#58, Melon Sushi Bun and asked Tsukino out. Tsukino thought they were out on a date but Kazuma had just forgotten his money and needed her to come along to buy some ingredients. Kazuma's Japan#58 Melon Sushi Bun enabled him to defeat Mizuno and advance to the next round.

Kawachi's match between him and Motohashi. Kawachi wins, but only after trying his best after receiving a huge scare from Matsushiro. Shachihoko, Azuma's next opponent is introduced, as well as the next theme for the next round, which is yakisoba bread. The object is to make the yakisoba not the bread. Azuma who has only ever made bread is a terrible cook; Matsushiro calls an old ramen chef friend of his to teach Azuma and Kawachi the way of yakisoba.

In a hopeless situation, Azuma becomes depressed. Meanwhile Kawachi goes on to win his match, and gives Azuma an idea. The day of the match between Azuma and Shachihoko has arrived. Azuma ends up winning by making an okonomiyaki-style sandwich on panini bread.

The match between Azuma and Koala begins; the object is to create an animal bread that is attractive to both women and young children. Matsushiro explains that Koala (who was earlier revealed to be Mokoyama, in disguise) will beat Azuma, with his dragon bread. Near the end of the episode, Koala presents a dragon-shaped bread to Kuroyanagi and Azuma presents a green turtle-shaped bread.

The episode carries on from episode 16, and ends with Azuma's win. After Koala's loss, Mizuno fires Koala, but later re-hires him after realizing how much she loved him.

Tsukino goes to her mother's grave as it is her mother's anniversary while Kawachi is versing Katsuo "Pig-boy" Umino in the Pantasia main branch. Kawachi is surprised to see Tsukino not coming to his match and wins. Tsukino buys flowers and brings bread to her mother's funeral while Kyousuke, Kazuma and Ken Matsushiro go to her mother's grave to pray with her.

The semi-finals match, Kanmuri vs. Kawachi. Kawachi is confident in his battle with Kanmuri after obtaining a special yeast from Matsushiro. During the competition Kawachi suddenly has difficulty kneading his dough, and despite his efforts the dough refuses to ferment.

Just before the competition, Yukino placed endo-proteases into Kawachi's flour, causing Kawachi to lose to Kanmuri by foul play.

After Kawachi's dreadful defeat at the hands of Kanmuri, Azuma decided to take revenge for Kawachi. During Azuma's match with Suwabara, Azuma baked Japan #44, a bread that allows you to go heaven. The judges, Kuroyanagi and Dave go to heaven after eating Azuma's bread. When Kuroyanagi comes back to life after the effects of the bread have worn off, he declares Azuma the winner.

The episode begins with a short overview of the past few episodes. Matsushiro also suggests that Kawachi go train at a church during the finals, before facing Suwabara. After talking to Kanmuri in the kitchen, Yukino finds the petalite slab and then breaks it into sand pouring it into a sandbox.

Kawachi meets a young nun who turns out to be his mentor on baking bread, during his stay. The competition between Azuma and Kanmuri begins, however both are desperate to win, with Azuma's promise to Tsukino and Kawachi on the line, and Kanmuri's research that is threatened by Yukino.

Kawachi returns after shockingly changing his hairstyle into an afro. Meanwhile Azuma and Kanmuri battle it out, Meister Kirisaki, the judge for the finals, gives Kanmuri a full score by the display of peacock feathers on his mask. Azuma also receives the same result but the result allows Meister to suddenly fly around the room, shocking the audience. The match ends with Azuma's win.

Because of Kanmuri's defeat, Yukino as promised, destroys Kanmuri's research. The scene switches to Kawachi and the gang, and flashes back to Kawachi's training at the church. Kawachi also tries to get rid of his habit of saying "what was that?!" but it proves to be futile. The match between Suwabara and Kawachi then starts, with each of them introducing a new type of bread they developed.

The final match between Kawachi and Suwabara starts. Kawachi introduces his "singing" French bread, a technique he developed during his training, Suwabara also introduces his "dancing" French bread that takes the appearance of a coiled up snake. The match ends in a draw, and thus concludes the Pantasia Newcomers arc.