How to Measure Flour Correctly

Too much flour is the most common reason baked goods turn out dry, tough or dense. The fix is simple: measure it the same way every time, ideally by weight.

Method 1: Use a scale (best)

1. Place your bowl on the scale and press the tare (zero) button.
2. Spoon flour into the bowl until you reach the weight in the recipe.
3. For all-purpose flour, use about 120 g per cup unless the recipe states a different weight.

Method 2: Spoon and level (if you only have cups)

1. Fluff the flour in its container with a fork or whisk, since it settles and compacts during storage.
2. Use a spoon to lightly drop flour into a dry measuring cup until it mounds over the top.
3. Sweep the back of a knife across the rim to level it off.
4. Do not tap, shake or press the cup, because that packs the flour down.

Why scooping goes wrong

Dipping the cup into the flour compresses it, so you collect much more than you think. A scooped cup can weigh 140 g or more compared with 120 g for a spooned and leveled cup. That is roughly 15 percent extra flour in every cup.

What about sifting?

Sifting adds air, so a cup of sifted flour weighs less. Read the recipe wording carefully: "1 cup sifted flour" means sift first, then measure, while "1 cup flour, sifted" means measure first, then sift. When a recipe gives grams, sifting does not change the amount.

Use the right cup

Dry ingredients belong in nesting dry measuring cups that you can level off. Liquid measuring cups with a spout are made for liquids, and are hard to level accurately for flour.

Different flours weigh different amounts

Cake flour, whole wheat flour and almond flour all have different weights per cup. Check the flour converter for the weight of the type you are using.