The influence of a multistep intermediate pressing and sintering process on microstructure and the relation between microstructure and values of critical current density, J(Cr) in Bi, Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O high-TC polycrystalline superconductors was studied. The J(C) values increased with increasing number of pressing and sintering steps, n, only up to a certain value of n. The increase of J(C) was reached by improvement of connections between grains due to compacting and by the alignment of superconducting grains in the c-axis direction. The maximal value of J(C) was found for n = 5. The crack development is responsible for decreasing J(C) for a higher number of steps.