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How to measure flour

 

How to properly measure flour. When baking your measurements need to be accurate find out how to measure flour correctly.

 

All flour is pre-sifted but it settles during shipment.

A cup of flour scooped directly from the bag can weigh up to 5 ounces but is SHOULD weigh 4 ounces.

To measure flour correctly fluff up flour in the bag or canister before measuring then sprinkle it lightly with a spoon into a measuring cup, scrape the excess off the top with a knife.

Flour measuring instructions

Measuring Flour: Correct method

In order to measure flour correctly, it must be sifted once before measuring to prevent packing of the flour.

Most recipes for baked products assume this, since sifted flour tends to pack on standing. This sifting process should be performed just prior to measuring.

Estimate the amount of flour which must be sifted for the measurement and sift.

To fill the measuring cup, the flour should be dipped with a tablespoon and placed lightly into the cup until the cup is heaping full.

Excess flour is then removed by moving a straight edge such as a knife or metal spatula across the top of the heaping cup. It is important at all times during this process of filing or leveling the cup, not to shake the cup (or tap) since either will cause packing of the flour.

Thus, the correct technique of measuring flour consists of 3 steps:

  1. Sift the flour
  2. Fill the measuring cup to heaping full
  3. Level cup with a straight-edged spatula or kitchen knife

When flour is measured by this method, which eliminates packing of the flour as much as possible, one cup should weigh about 4 ounces or 112 grams.

A second method is to sift directly and evenly into the cup and level off with a straight-edged spatula.

Measuring Flour: Incorrect Method

When flour is measured without sifting but by tapping the measuring cup, additional flour is needed to fill the cup - the result of packing of the flour.

Since the degree of packing cannot be controlled, measuring flour in this manner will result in variable results.

During our testing, in one case, one cup measured by this method weighed 173 grams, an increase of 61 grams over the standard measure.

This increase represents an excess of one-half cup of flour!?! in a recipe and would probably yield an inconsistent result.

 

 

Comments


, United States
 over 7 years ago

I am teaching a class at our Hands of Hope Food Bank in Durant, OK and was looking for measurements and instructions I could place on 3x5 note cards to put in recipe boxes.

, United States
 about 6 years ago

what is the equivalent of 2/5

, United States
 over 4 years ago

How many cups in 2 pounds of flower

1 cup of flour should weigh 4 oz, 1 lbs of flour is 16 oz. There should be 4 cups of flour in 1 lbs of flour. Therefore 2 lbs should be 8 cups.

Home chef

, United Kingdom
 over 2 years ago
, United States
 over 3 years ago

How many cups are in a quarter?

Islip, United States
 about 3 years ago

I am trying to figure out how much is 7/8 cups of flour. How do I measure that out.

Ottawa, Canada
 almost 3 years ago

How do u measure .75 oz dry cooked flour


, United Kingdom
 over 2 years ago

1 cup of flour should weigh 4 oz, 1 lbs of flour is 16 oz. There should be 4 cups of flour in 1 lbs of flour. Therefore 2 lbs should be 8 cups.

Anthony
Los Angeles, United States
 about 1 year ago

how do I measure 1/4 oz of dry powder

Loopilynn

 12 months ago

I'm measuring dry cake mix and the recipe calls for five ounces of dry cake mix, wouldn't 1 and 1/4 cups do the trick?