How To Properly Measure Flour | Baking Techniques

Flour is one of the most commonly used baking ingredients. From cakes to bread to pastries, it has become a staple in any kitchen. Measuring out flour correctly is an essential baking technique and one that I have learned an improved on over the years. Here is my approach to measuring flour, along with tools and techniques to getting it right every time.

Step 1: Tools

Using the correct tools when baking is important; you don't want to use a wooden spoon when you are trying to whisk air into something. Likewise, measuring flour requires the correct tools. A lot of people will have a kitchen scale that measures ingredients in grams. This is the best way to measure out anything. Standard measuring cups are based on volume, but that can change depending on how densely packed something is, so 1/2 cup can really be 2/3 cup changing the ratio and overall dish. Using a kitchen scale measuring in grams is based on mass, and that will not change, so recipes using grams will be exact. Many French desserts, such as macarons, will have the recipes in grams because there needs to be an exact amount of each ingredient to get the recipe correct. I would definitely suggest getting a kitchen scale from a store if you are tackling tricky recipes or plan on baking for a long time.

For most people who don't have a kitchen scale, or for the recipes that are not in grams, using standard measuring cups is the most common way to measure out ingredients. For smaller amounts like teaspoon or tablespoon, the measuring spoons work fine. When you are working with larger volumes, there can be a lot of variation in the actual amount. For flour specifically, you need a few tools to make sure you are getting the (close to) exact amount needed. Get your measuring cup, a spoon, and a knife or some kind of flat edge. These will be helpful in reaching the right amount of flour for your recipe.

Step 2: Measuring

Measuring with a kitchen scale is simple; place a bowl on the scale, zero it out, and slowly add in the flour until the specified grams is reached. With the regular measuring cups, there are a few more steps to follow. Here is a nice graphic that illustrates the process.

The first step is to use the spoon to fluff up the flour in the container. I have my flour in a wide-mouth container so I can easily access the flour, and measure over the container to prevent anything from spilling. Fluffing up the flour, take a spoonful of the flour and drop it into the measuring cup. You don't want to be tapping the cup on a surface or shaking it, otherwise the flout will settle and become denser. Take another spoonful of fluffed flour and drop it right on top of the flour. Don't worry about filling any sides of the measuring cup. Continue placing spoonfuls of flour in the measuring cup, creating a mound of flour that is higher than the cup. Then, using the flat edge of a knife, scrape off the top of the mound. I start from the handle side of the measuring cup, using the rim as a holder to stabilize my knife. If you have a mound in the center and the sides are not all the way covered, start in the middle of the mound and move outwards. Here, we are filling in the entire volume of the measuring cup without increasing the density. The key is to use a straight edge level to the measuring cups, scrape the rim, and prevent any settling of the flour by not tapping on a surface.

This is the best way to measure out flour if you have to use the measuring cups. I find that in recipes that are not too complicated or require exact measurements, using the measuring cups are an easy way to quickly measure out ingredients. Using the kitchen scale can sometimes take a long time to get used to what is around the correct grams of the ingredient, as most people in America are not familiar with the metric system. Getting used to using the metric system when you bake is a great practice that many professional bakers do, as it will help to streamline your baking process to be exact. Getting the technique down for handling different ingredients and performing different steps is essential to improving your baking skills.