Learning How To Measure Flour accurately is a simple 2-minute kitchen hack that you’ll reap the rewards of in all of your delicious baked goods!

After you learn how to measure flour correctly bake up a loaf of this Cinnamon Swirl Bread! Great toasted up and smeared with butter for a tasty breakfast or snack!

a peach colored measuring cup filled with flour.

Delivering the best bread, cakes, and cookies depends heavily on How To Measure flour! Too much flour and our baked goods turn out dense, crumbly, and dry.

But just the right amount of flour leaves us with heavenly baked goods with delicious texture!

We’ve all baked like that though – where we take our measuring cup and dive it into the bag of flour. Scooping it up and using the side of the bag to press the flour in and level it off.

But now it’s time to learn how to measure flour without a digital scale! Though you can do it with a scale too (a kitchen scale will give you the most accurate measurements after all) – so do what works best for you and your baked goods!

After all, your cakes, cookies, and bread recipes depend on it!

Table of Contents

The Importance Of Learning How To Measure Flour Properly

The most common method of measuring flour is by volume using a measuring cup and scooping it into the bag. Though, it’s not the most accurate way! Professional bakers know that measuring by volume leaves a lot of room for error, and now you can learn how to properly measure too.

Depending on your method of scooping the flour, oftentimes too much is added! And excess flour means that our recipes won’t turn out how they’re intended to.

When we accurately measure flour for baking recipes, our muffins, and cupcakes will be the moist, light delicious confections that we want them to be!

A scoop dumping flour into a measuring cup.

How To Properly Measure Flour (Spoon & Sweep Method)

Fluff The Flour – When flour sits in its package or storage container it becomes tightly packed from settling. Therefore, use a fork or a spoon to fluff it up! This way we avoid using settled, packed flour in our recipes!
Spoon It out – Use a spoon to scoop the flour out and into the measuring cup. Make sure you are using dry measuring cups and not liquid measuring cups to measure flour. These are my favorite measuring cups (affiliate link). Don’t pack the flour down! Instead, allow it to form a peak above the rim of the measuring cup.
Level It Off – Level the peak of flour off by using the flat edge of a butter knife. This way the flour doesn’t become packed into the measuring cup, resulting in too much flour!
Kitchen Scale – Instead of fluffing, scooping, and leveling you could just use your kitchen scale! To do so, make sure your scale is zeroed out by hitting the tare button so you’re not including the weight of the bowl. Then scoop spoonful’s out onto it. For one cup of all-purpose flour, you want around 120 to 125 grams of flour.

Different flours will have different weights, I have found this weight chart by King Arthur Flour really helpful. It covers volume (cups), ounces, and grams for almost every ingredient you might use in baking!

Spoon and sweep method being shown for measuring flour properly.

Now that you know how to measure your flour grab this Black Magic Chocolate Cake recipe and head to the kitchen! Afterward, teach your kids this simple kitchen hack by making Chocolate Chip Muffins!

If My Recipe Calls For Sifting The Flour, Should I Measure It Before Or After Sifting?

This depends on how your specific recipe instructions are worded. If the recipe says “1 cup sifted flour” you need to sift the flour before measuring it out.

However, if the recipe says ” 1 cup of flour, sifted” you need to sift after measuring the flour.

Where Can I Buy A Kitchen Scale So I Can Measure Out My Flour?

Oftentimes you can grab a kitchen scale right at your local grocery store! If not check out Amazon or head to Walmart or Target.

How Accurate Is It To Measure Flour Using This Method Instead Of Using A Kitchen Scale?

This method will have more accuracy than scooping flour straight from the bag. However, it doesn’t eliminate all possibilities of getting too much flour.

If you’re wanting the most accurate method, use the kitchen scale!

Overhead photo of a measuring cup with leveled flour in it.

Let’s Connect!

If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!

Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there, where you can join our recipe challenges!

5 from 1 vote