Learn how to measure flour accurately with a measuring cup, especially for baking recipes. With this method, you’ll get great results every time!
Did you know that there is a right way to measure flour?
I didn’t. When the recipe said 1 cup of flour, I simply just scooped the flour into a measuring cup.
It took me a while to finally learn that this is not an accurate method (Don’t worry, that was my pre-blogging days).
The WRONG Way to Measure Flour
When you measure by volume using a measuring cup, the actual amount of flour you use varies based on different factors:
- The way you scooped the flour.
- How tightly you packed it.
If a recipe calls for a cup of flour, you could end up with a different amount each time. And this can affect your final results, especially when it comes to baking recipes.
Many of us learn how to measure flour just like how I illustrated below. Turns out it is an imprecise (incorrect) way. 🙅🏻♀️
Let’s take a look! One cup of flour was 145 grams (5.1 oz). I tried it again, and this time was 141 grams (5 oz). Give it a try and see how much flour you get with this method.
Now, The RIGHT Way to Measure Flour
First of all, you must remember this:
1 cup of flour = 120 g (4.2 oz)
Do you remember that the wrong method above gave me 145 grams of flour? That’s 25 grams (roughly 3 tablespoons) more flour than what I needed!
Now, scroll down and I’ll show you the right way to measure flour with step-by-step pictures below.
My Favorite Kitchen Scale
To test my recipes precisely, I use a kitchen scale for baking because weighing flour with a kitchen scale will give you the most accurate measurement every single time.
Most Popular JOC Baking Recipes
- Japanese Souffle Cheesecake
- Japanese Strawberry Shortcake
- Earl Grey Chiffon Cake
- Matcha Marbled Pound Cake
- Green Tea Cookies
- Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread)
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How to Measure Flour (The Right Way)
Video
Materials
Any of the flours below
- all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- cake flour
- bread flour
Instructions
- Fluff up the flour in the bag or container. Flour is tightly packed inside the bag or container. To avoid packed flour, you need to fluff it up with a spoon before you measure it.
- Using a spoon, sprinkle the flour into the measuring cup. Gently pile it in until it forms a heap above the rim of the measuring cup. Never pack the flour down.
- Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour. This way, you’ll get rid of excess flour on top of the cup without packing down the flour inside.
- 1 cup of leveled all-purpose flour should weigh 120 grams (4.2 oz).
Thanks for this tip about sprinkling with spoon. On the way to level the flour: I was taught in domestic science class (55 years ago!) before leveling off with knife, to avoid compaction, first cut down lightly with the knife several times along the surface of the flour and then level off.
Hi Amie!
Thank you for your kind feedback and for sharing your story with us! 😉
I got a kitchen scale at Daiso last week and it was only 100 yen!
Hi Kyaw San! Daiso is amazing…!!
That is fascinating! I’d watched Martha Stewart as she scraped the flour piled up in the tin cup and thought that was all I needed to do. As I do enjoy baking so much perhaps a scale would be a good idea. Never thought to loosen the flour in the bag. I love watching The British Baking show with Paul Hollywood teaching us how to make wonderful baked goods. Time to get serious! Thank you for all you give us. I am making gyoza wraps this morning!!
Hi Barbara! I was fascinated to find out (to make this video) that each time I scoop and level off (the wrong way), the weight is so different. And when I did the right way, it’s been consistently the correct amount. As everyone scoops out differently, it makes sense using this method. If you’re the only one making the recipes with the same method of scooping, it should not be affected, but once you follow someone’s recipes, it can be tricky. 🙂
I love having a kitchen scale in my kitchen, especially if you are writing/recording your recipes. 🙂
Wow this is enlightening. I have been doing it the wrong way this whole time! I’ve never been able to make good cookies, and this may be why! Ha! Do you think this is why sometimes my cookies taste so dry, even though I under bake them?
Hi Theresa! Yes, it’s highly possible. You must have added more flour for sure. I hope your next cookies come out well!
I don’t do a lot of baking but I bake biscuits often, and I bake bread now and then. For my biscuits I just eyeball the flour ( 2 cups or so) and add milk until the dough looks and feels right. Works every time. But bread is different. I soon learned to get consistent results I had to weigh the ingredients and everything I read by the experts said to use a scale, so I bought two of them and I have been weighing every since. The other thing I learned is that even when weighing the ingredients the flour to water ratio is not an exact science. The flour to water ratio is right when the dough feels right and that comes from experience
Hi Gharlie! I agree, the moisture in the environment makes a difference too. I live in California where it is pretty dry all year round. After all, everyone has to adjust slightly based on the ingredients they have and because of that I believe there is no perfect recipe that works for everyone in the world.
I’ve noticed in your recipes that you usually list the ingredients in grams.
As a baker I know that a recipe can only be successfully replicated if all ingredients are scaled. This covers all areas of cooking…. I hope one day never to see cup/ teaspoon/tablespoon measurements- or at least list both.
Hi Linda! I use a scale for most of my baking too (unless I follow American recipes), and I believe the subtle difference does make a difference at the end, and that small amount of liquid difference could be the key for the right texture etc, and I really don’t like that there is no measure between 1/3 cup and 1/2 cup, for example. However, Americans have been baking/cooking with cups for years, and this is just their preference. I always encourage them to use a kitchen scale to avoid failures and improve the final results. However, I also get surprised that some baking recipes are more forgiving and they are so easily made with cup measurements and the results are amazing. I’m used to the Japanese way of measuring, which includes grams and teaspoons/tablespoons when they are small portions, and you’ll see that in my recipes.
Great information, Nami.
Thank you June!
thank you for your info in measuring the flour with your video. It was very helpful. Been doing it the wrong way for the longest time. Learned a lot.
Hi Maria! I’m glad this video was helpful! Hopefully, your baked goods will improve with the right measuring method. 🙂