On the Sifting of Things

[NashVegas]

Dumb question but one that perplexes me. When you're using sifted ingredients, say, flour? Do you measure BEFORE or AFTER sifting?

[NMDemDist2]

1. after n/t

[Warpy]

2. I live in a high and dry climate

so I generally measure before, add all my dry ingredients to the sifter, and sift together. Back in Boston, I tried it both ways and found no difference in home baking.

I've found measuring before and sifting together give the best result for dry, high altitude baking.

Of course, that is for cakes and things that require measuring. For bread, I neather measure nor sift.

[politicat]

3. According to baking911.com, there are two methods:

If the recipe calls for 1 cup of sifted flour, you sift, then measure.

If it calls for 1 cup of flour, sifted, you measure, then sift.

[lavenderdiva]

4. alright, I think you are just trying to confuse me...

just like those folks who say, 'starve a cold, feed a fever', or is it the other way?

[politicat]

5. There is a difference....

A cup of flour weighs about 4.5 ounces. A cup of sifted flour weighs about 3 ounces. Flour compacts the way salt and sugar don't. Thus, a cup of sifted flour is one that weighs about 3 ounces, but has a specific volume by the addition of air between the particles.

A cup of flour, sifted is one that weighs about 4.5 ounces, but has been sifted after weighing so as to increase the volume and add air.

And this is why I measure my flour with a scale.

[lavenderdiva]

6. is your real name Alton Brown?

'cuz you sound just like him! Wow. I did not know these specifics about sifted flour. But I now feel better educated when I next make a cake. Thanks for sharing!

[politicat]

9. Thanks!

That's a huge compliment... I have such a crush on him.... :blush:

[Warpy]

7. Humdity also has to be considered

and at my place in the high desert, everything is dry, dry, dry. A roll of adhesive tape lasts 2 years before the adhesive dries out and it has to be tossed. Flour compacts slightly, but high altitude baking generally calls for more flour and a cooler oven, so scoop, sweep, and sift works well here.

[politicat]

8. Warpy, I live at 6000 feet... 200 miles north of you.

I still notice a difference if I don't weigh it. Especially for cakes. Breads, not so much, but cakes and other delicate things - yeah.

[NashVegas]

11. And Therein Lies the Rub

I was making a coffee cake last night that called for sifted flour, but then wanted me to stir it with the other dry ingredients. Not sift with. Didn't make much sense to me, I feared the flour would compact itself from being worked.

The cake came out fine, even with a wee too much flour.

[grasswire]

10. one other thing that can affect baking is ...

...whether you dip the measuring cup into flour or spoon flour into the measuring cup. More flour ends up in the cup if you dip it.

Also (and this is probably something everyone knows) there are measuring cups meant for dry ingredients and different measuring cups for liquids.

[NMDemDist2]

12. housewolf suggested I take a whisk to my flour then spoon into the cup

that seemed like a good method

[Dora]

13. That's what I do!

I feel so affirmed!