This Might Be The Worst Way To Measure Flour
The basics of flour can be difficult to master if you are new to the baking scene. It seems easy enough to look at a recipe and simply measure out whatever amount is called for; however, when it comes to this dry ingredient, it may be easier said than done. Per Our Everyday Life, flour's raison d'etre in baking is to provide structure to your baked good. They note that while there are a variety of flours that you can use to make your favorite bread, cookies, pies, and cakes, the flour the recipe calls for is the one you want to stick to or risk offending your mouth when the final product doesn't taste quite how it's supposed to.
Following the perils of using the wrong flour, mismeasuring your flour can give mixed results. Most of us learned how to bake in our grandparents' or parents' kitchen. When it came time for the flour, you probably took the measuring cup and dipped it straight into the bag or jar where your flour was stored and scooped out the amount before leveling it off with a knife. We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but, per Eating Well, if that is how you learned to measure flour and continue to do so, then you've been doing it all wrong. In fact, it may be the worst way to measure your flour.
The end product will be dense
Per Food Network, the problem with using the scooping method to measure your flour is that you wind up with less than fluffy baked goods. In fact, your favorite cookies or cupcakes might even turn out hard as a brick because you are packing more flour into the cup than you realize. Instead, they recommend the most accurate way to measure flour is using a digital scale. They caution that when using this modern invention, you need to take into account the weight of the bowl or container you will sprinkle your flour into.
What if the recipe doesn't offer the measurement by weight? Don't worry. The Food Network states that 1 cup of flour is equal to between 125 to 130 grams which is 4.5 ounces if you are not a fan of the metric system. But what if you don't have a digital scale in your kitchen?
Per Eating Well, if you don't have a digital scale, no problem. They explain that instead of diving into the flour container with your measuring cup, you want to sprinkle loose spoonfuls into it until it is full. Food Network suggests taking your spoon and stirring it a bit before you start scooping up flour with it. This will aerate it ever so slightly, and you won't end up with a densely packed cup of flour. Fill your measuring cup until it is just over the rim, level it off, and voila, you are in business.