how to measure flour

Even a tablespoon too much or too little flour can have an impact on the quality of your cookies and cakes. Here's how to measure accurately so you can get consistent and delicious results.

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preferred:  weigh flour

For the greatest accuracy, weigh flour before using it. Put a bowl on a scale, hit the "tare" button to set the scale to zero, and scoop the flour into the bowl. Have a spoon handy to remove a little if you go over.

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second best:  dip and sweep

Dip a dry measuring cup into the flour, sweeping away excess flour with a flat edge. This method yields more accurate results than spooning flour into a measuring cup. Tap the bottom of the measuring cup when emptying it to make sure you get an accurate measure.
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additional hints:

1. Use a decent quality METAL measuring cup. While decorative and plastic cups might be cute or convenient, stick with metal for best results.
2. If you do a lot of baking, buy a digital scale with a large surface. This way you can easily read the weight when you have a large bowl on the scale.