Learn How to Properly Measure Flour and stop blaming the recipe. You will end up with more success from all your recipes.
The Flour Weighs 125 Grams
I’ve been noticing recently some people are having problems with simple baking recipes. Their breads and cakes are coming out to firm or to rubbery.
Some people have resorted to using their baked goods as a weapon. With that I jest, but you get the message.
How to Properly Measure Flour
It is super duper important to properly weigh flour when baking. So many things can go wrong otherwise and you might miss out on a really good recipe, like my famous Instant Pot Banana Nut Bread. This banana bread has taken the Instant Pot community by storm.
When I bake, I always use this Baker’s Math Scale and weigh in grams.
The measurement is much more accurate than using a Measuring Cup and Measuring Spoons.
Use a Spoon to Aerate the Flour
If you don’t have a scale and want to use a standard Measuring Cup, make sure your flour is very aerated.
I keep all my Flours and Sugar in these particular Lock N Lock Square Containers to keep out the bugs. Actually, all my dry goods are kept in Lock N Lock Containers.
My cabinets and refrigerator (we use them for cold storage too) look like a Lock N Lock factory. 🙂
During storage, Flour settles.
You want to aerate to make it very light. So, either shake your container, or take a spoon and mix up the Flour.
Don’t Scoop from the Container or Bag of Flour
Never, ever, ever, stick your Measuring Cup into the bag or container of Flour and “scoop up a cup.”
Never. Do you know how much that scooped cup weighs? I’ll show you down below.
That in and of itself, may just be the reason you are having very heavy breads and cakes.
Try this method in my Pressure Cooker Grandma Mill’s Banana Nut Bread recipe and let me know if your Banana Bread comes out perfect.
Use a Spoon to Scoop
To properly measure Flour using a Measuring Cup, use a spoon and sprinkle the Flour into the Measuring Cup. That will get you pretty close to the actual weight of 125 grams.
The King Arthur Flour sites says there are 120 grams of All Purpose Flour to one measuring cup of All Purpose Flour.
Most bakers use 125 grams as a one cup measurement.
While I love and only use King Arthur All Purpose Flour, the 125 grams/one cup measurement, has always worked for me.
Fill your Measuring Cup with Flour
Continue sprinkling in the Flour, until your Measuring Cup is full.
You can see how light and airy the Flour appears. It will look very similar to sifted Flour.
Use the Back Side of Knife to Level the Flour
Using a Butter Knife, run the knife across the Measuring Cup and level the excess Flour back into the container or bag of Flour.
A “cup” of flour should weigh 125 grams/4.40 ounces, so let’s see how we did.
Most, if not all bakers that I follow, also use the weight of 125 grams for a one cup bulk measurement.
If you prefer to measure in ounces, the weight in ounces is 4.41, which interestingly enough, is what the King Arthur websites says.
My Baker’s Math Scale is on 0.00 grams.
Place Bowl on Bakers Scale and Tar it Out
To see how much the Flour in the Measuring Cup weighs, Tar out the Scale back to Zero.
Let’s Weigh the Flour
Let’s weigh the Flour we just sprinkled into the Measuring Cup.
The Flour Weighs 125 Grams
The Flour weighs exactly 125 grams. Now, I have been weighing my flour for many years, so I hit it right on the money.
Without a scale, you may be a gram or two over or under.
That small amount won’t matter. Now, let’s see how much a “cup” of Flour weighs doing it the wrong way.
Measuring Flour the Wrong Way
Whoa!!! That is quite a significant difference.
Now, imagine a recipe that calls for three cups of Flour, that is almost a whole cup more Flour than needed.
The Flour Weighs 125 Grams
Now that you have learned How to Properly Measure Flour, I bet you will have much better results with all your baking! I’d love to know how your baked goods come out with this method.
More Baked Goods Recipes you will LOVE:
- Choco-Spice Layer Cake w/Mocha Buttercream Frosting
- Pressure Cooker Buttermilk Sugar Pie Pumpkin Bread
- Instant Pot Banana Nut Bread (Grandma Mills)
- Simply Delicious Buttermilk Banana Bread
I would love to hear from you after you try this method. Please, if you feel like it, let me know in the comments section below.
Happy Baking!
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
Caring is sharing! If you would like to support This Old Gal, please share this recipe on Social Media, so that I can continue to bring you more wonderful recipes!
If you share a picture of something you make from our blog, tag it with #thisoldgalcooks so we can see it. We might feature it on Instagram! It makes my day when I see you’ve made one of our recipes!
Here is the handy printable recipe:
Ingredients
Instructions
- Shake or mix your flour to aerate.
- With a spoon, sprinkle flour into your measuring cup.
- When full, use the back of a knife to level the flour.
Notes
Nutrition
PIN this How to Properly Measure Flour!
Learn How to Properly Measure Flour