# Bakers and Chefs....Please......



## linguica (Feb 27, 2013)

With all the posts lately about breads, biscuits and cakes, I have a question to those of you accomplished bakers. I have been baking for many years and have had some wonderful success and also have produced some baked goods that could well be used for the nose of a bunker buster bomb. My question is basic and seems to have as many answers  as people asked :                                                         What is the proper procedure to measure a cup of flour?

                      Thank You for your help


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## goingcamping (Feb 27, 2013)

First off...I've not, in any way, ever been confused as a baker! I enjoy making food for my friends and family...


That being said measure flour by weight!

HERE'S AN ARTICLE

Ciao,

Brett


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## bigbronk (Feb 27, 2013)

By weight.

One cup of white flour weighs 123 grams.

One cup of whole wheat flour weighs 140 grams.

One cup of bread flour weighs 130 grams.

One cup of cake flour weighs 114 grams.


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## kathrynn (Feb 27, 2013)

I was taught to fiil the cup and stick a table knife in the middle to make sure the measure is filled....then scrape the top to level off with the back of the knife. Done that for years!

BUT!!! With watching the cooking shows...they just level the cup with a finger.

I have done both ways...both work!

Kat


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## diggingdogfarm (Feb 27, 2013)

Weight is the best way to measure flour.

For volume measure, never scoop.
Spooning flour into the measuring cup and sweeping across the top with something like the back of a knife is the best and most reliably repeatable way to measure flour, short of weighing.



~Martin


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## linguica (Feb 27, 2013)

Weight it is then.Thank you for your help. I will have to buy a food scale (OH goodie, another gadget). Tonight will finally be pizza night, we had a medical problem and have spent much time at two different veterinary hospitals. Stable now (fingers crossed). I also came across an outstanding site for traditional pizza cooking,

http://www.traditionaloven.com/

And the worlds longest pizza recipe'

http://www.varasanos.com/PizzaRecipe.htm


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## diggingdogfarm (Feb 27, 2013)

It is a good website, I used to have an earthen oven.


~Martin


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## venture (Feb 27, 2013)

Baking and pastry are an art.

Seems so difficult to reproduce results?

Simple things like humidity can drive you nuts.  One place you don't want it, another place you need it.

About 20 years ago I went on a sourdough bread binge.  Made my share of cement building blocks.

Finally I learned the "feel" of the dough. And knowing the strength of my starter.  Something I think has to be practiced regularly.  Don't think I could make a decent loaf now.  My hands have lost the "feel", and it would have to be re-learned.

If I decide to get back into making sourdough bread, let me know if you need any building blocks!

Good luck and good smoking.


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## chef jimmyj (Feb 27, 2013)

DiggingDogFarm said:


> Weight is the best way to measure flour.
> 
> For volume measure, never scoop.
> Spooning flour into the measuring cup and sweeping across the top with something like the back of a knife is the best and most reliably repeatable way to measure flour, short of weighing.
> ...


This is the answer I would have given as well...JJ


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## linguica (Feb 27, 2013)

Chef JimmyJ said:


> DiggingDogFarm said:
> 
> 
> > Weight is the best way to measure flour.
> ...


Thanks Martin, Chef JJ, and everyone else that helped out. When i first started out baking, i measured everything by weight in grams (Alton Brown's idea), but all the good bakers i have known not only don't measure, (handful of this, fistful of that) they seldom use a recipe. This drives me nuts cause they always end up with a bakery quality product.

PS my best buddy is resting and out of danger for the near future.


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## diggingdogfarm (Feb 28, 2013)

Linguica said:


> Chef JimmyJ said:
> 
> 
> > DiggingDogFarm said:
> ...



When you do it everyday and you're talented, you can get away with that.
My paternal grandmother was that way, she was an amazing baker.....even my grand-aunt who was also a great baker said that nobody could make a pancake, or a biscuit or a cake or bread like my grandmother.
I agree with her.

My maternal grandmother was also a great baker, but more formal, she's the one who taught me to spoon flour into the measuring cup....she would literally gasp when she saw someone doing otherwise. LOL
She baked for 75+ years.

Sadly, both are gone now and I sure miss them a lot.

~Martin


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## chef jimmyj (Feb 28, 2013)

The times that Formulas in Baking become important is in larger Bakeries. You need consistency and to be able to have any employee reproduce a product the same every time...JJ


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