Flour. One of the most commonly used baking ingredients on the planet. Yet, this simple ingredient is often the cause of many baking disasters.

Depending how you measure your flour, it can make the difference between a culinary masterpiece and a dry, dense doorstop. Flour can be effectively measured either by weight or by volume. Whichever way you measure flour, the important thing to remember is to not dive right in with a measuring cup without first fluffing the flour. This can result in adding up to 25% more flour than the recipe requires.

Most bread bakers agree, the best way to measure flour is by weight. However, not everyone has a kitchen scale lying around the house. Below we look at three of the most common ways to accurately measure flour.

Measure by volume: Dip & Sweep Method

This is our preferred method of measuring flour by volume.

Before measuring with the dip & sweep method, fluff up the flour with a whisk, butter knife or other kitchen tool. This is important because flour will settle and become more dense the longer it sits.

After fluffing the flour, gently dip the measuring cup into the flour canister/bag and use a knife or spatula to sweep off the excess flour. Be sure to not shake, tap, or compact the flour down.

This method will produce a cup of all-purpose flour that weighs approximately 5 ounces or 126 grams.

Measure by volume: Spoon & Sweep Method

A slightly more accurate and also messier method than the dip and sweep is called the "spoon and sweep" method.

Before measuring the flour, use a whisk, butter knife or other kitchen tool to fluff up the flour. This will add air to the flour before measuring.

After fluffing the flour, use a table or mixing spoon to scoop the flour into your measuring cup until it is heaping above the rim. Use a spatula or knife to scrape the excess flour back into the canister or bag.

A cup of flour using this method will weigh approximately 4.5 ounces or 126 grams.

Measuring flour by weight

As mentioned above, the most accurate way to measure flour is by weight. Any kitchen scale will do the trick. In our kitchen we use an Escali digital scale with 11-pound capacity.

When measuring flour, it is important to remember a cup of each variety (all-purpose, whole wheat, etc.) weighs slightly different. Be sure to check out our chart of measurement equivalents to see how much you need to make one cup.