Tipping the Scales: How To Measure Flour

By Kellie Evans

Credit: Todd Coleman

You might have noticed that the bread recipes in our May 2012 issue measure ingredients by weight, a change from the typical recipe style of portioning out only in tablespoons, cups, and other volume measures. As we developed these recipes, we relied heavily on our kitchen scales�digital models that toggle easily between ounces and grams�because accuracy in measuring is never more important than it is when making bread. The only way to be sure you're getting the same measure every time is by using a scale. I know, because I conducted a little experiment: First, I scooped flour straight from the bag using a cup measure and then weighed the flour; the scale read 5 ½ ounces. When I scooped a cup's worth from the flour jar we keep on the counter, the scale read 5 ounces. Why the difference? Flour in a bag has been compacted for shipping, and when you pour flour into a storage container, you aerate it slightly. Fact is, neither of those cups I scooped weighed in at what most recipes presume a cup of flour equals: 4 ½ ounces. If you don't have a scale, here's how to ensure that your cup contains the right amount of flour: Use a spoon to stir the flour in the container. Drop spoonfuls of flour into a measuring cup until it's overflowing, then sweep a knife across the rim to make an even surface. This is the way we do it whenever we measure out flour in the saveur kitchen. When I weighed the flour I'd measured in this way, it was 4 ½ ounces on the nose.

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