Martha Stewart Insists You Can Skip This Baking Tool

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Some basic baking tools, like bowls, utensils, and pans, are completely necessary. Others can be replaced with common kitchen items that work just as well — and may even be less expensive. For instance, in a YouTube video posted by Martha Stewart, she says that you can actually sift flour without the use of a sieve.

In the video, Stewart explains that you don't need "a fancy sifter" to prep your flour. Instead, all you need is a whisk or a fork. While the flour won't be as light or fine, you will still be able to break up clumps and fluff up the flour before baking. Just vigorously and quickly stir the flour together with other dry ingredients. This hack will still work in some air and slightly alter the overall texture of the flour and other ingredients.

A sifter is a can-shaped tool with a handle that features a mesh sieve inside. When baking, even if you're using pre-sifted flour, sifters and sieves can lighten the texture of the flour by incorporating air. This results in a finer crumb and a lighter, less dense texture for baked goods. You may also be able to use a strainer in its place; however, the difference between a sieve and a strainer is that the holes of a strainer are usually larger, and it is mainly used for separating liquids.

In addition to a whisk or fork, there are other items you can use if you don't have a flour sifter or sieve but need to combine dry ingredients when cooking or baking. For example, you can put dry ingredients in your stand mixer on the lowest setting (or blitz them in a food processor) to combine them together while incorporating air. However, don't mix for too long or your ingredients might become compacted. If this happens, use a fork or whisk to fluff the ingredients back up again.

You can also line a colander with a clean, fine-weave dish towel or cheesecloth and place it over a bowl. Then pour your dry ingredients through the cloth-covered strainer to sift them. You should shake or tap the colander to achieve the same results as a sieve, such as removing clumps and impurities so the flour becomes finer and lighter. Of course, if you have a fine mesh strainer like the ones featured in Proto Future's Strainer Set, it will work almost exactly like a sieve or flour sifter.