# Sifted Flour vs unsifted flour



## frii

Many very kosher establishments require you to sift the flour with a very fine sifter since bugs were found in alot of brands of flour. (Eating bugs is a no-no hence vegetables and fruit are thoroughly inspected also)
If I am making a cake using let's say 2 cups of regular unsifted flour and I now have to make the same recipe using sifted flour - how would I know how much flour to put into the cake? Does it go by weight of the flour?


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## chefpeon

The best way to measure flour is by weight. Unfortunately a lot of home recipe books only specify volume measurements. What you can do is weigh the amount of your unsifted flour, then substitute an equal weight of sifted flour and that will work.


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## chefrobin

Take the two cups sift them thoroughly and use that in the recipe. The weight will be the same, although you will have a slight change in the consistency of the batter, it should still work without any problem. You will still be using the same amount of flour the recipe calls for. As the batter may be lighter also keep an eye on the cooking time as well. Be careful not to overmix the batter.


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## foodpump

I don't know why this is under the professional Pastry Chef's forum.

Anyone who bakes for a living uses a scale--have been doing so for thousands of years (see the Egyptian graffiti on pyramid walls--bakers using beam scales).

Most Chefs and bakers would introduce thier shoe to someone's rear-end if they caught them measuring flour or sugar by the cup: It's very innacurate, time consuming, and messy. A good electronic scale that goes up to 5 kgs (10 lbs) shouldn't cost more than a hundred. Get one.


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## chefrobin

I agree with you on the scale, but from the way the question was asked led me to believe that this was a recipe not for work but for home use, and in a pinch when you don"t have a scale, this method will work. Especially if the only type of measurement they have for the recipe is in volume not weight. Of course professionals would convert this to weight not volume but this doesn't sound like someone who knows how to do that....yet, but they are learning. Asking should get answers not criticism for not knowing. 

FYI 1 kilo is equal to 2.2 pounds so 5 kilos is 11 lbs.


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## ravena

Chef Robin
Thank you for the way you replied. Starting a career with criticism probably will not get anyone to far and  I appreciate you for sticking up for us who have lesser knowlege. I myself know that weighing is more accurate but there is much I do not know yet. Thanks


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## chefrobin

Your welcome. Never be afraid to ask questions.


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## chef ann1

This is a wonderful answer to the question! Thank you so much for your wisdom.


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## chef ann1

Yes I So agree with you Chef Robin. Baking is not what i am great at. My expertise is in Gourmet cuisine.  I am trying to get there in the baking department ;-))


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## jcakes

frii said:


> Many very kosher establishments require you to sift the flour with a very fine sifter since bugs were found in alot of brands of flour. (Eating bugs is a no-no hence vegetables and fruit are thoroughly inspected also)
> If I am making a cake using let's say 2 cups of regular unsifted flour and I now have to make the same recipe using sifted flour - *how would I know how much flour to put into the cake? Does it go by weight of the flour?*


I put the OP's text in bold because I think the question isn't necessarily about whether to use a scale or not, because why else would the OP ask if it goes by the weight?

What a cup of flour weighs depends on a few different things: whether you fluff the flour in the container before you scoop/level the cup, whether you just scoop/level the cup or whether you sift directly into the cup. These three things will give you different weights for that one cup of flour. What I have been using to convert recipes in books written for the (US) home cook is a 5 oz cup if I fluff the flour in the bin before I scoop it; 5.5 if I just scoop (no fluffling  and if it's cake flour, I use 4 oz as a weight. But your mileage may differ...

And there's been a lot of confusion lately about who can or shouldn't post in the Pro forum.


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## chefwriter

Since measuring by weight is more accurate, why do recipes tell the reader to sift the flour? Is it a holdover from the days when there were more bugs in flour or does sifting perform some other function? As much as I am enjoying my baking experiments, I find sifting a pain.


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## foodpump

Flour is sifted for a number of reasons

To better distribute leaveners such as baking pwdr, or salt, or cocoa pwdr, in the flour before adding into the wet mix. Thus avoiding "pockets"vof mix with too much of one of the forementioned ingerdients in the batter.

To incorporate more air in cake batters and cookie doughs

To get rid of flour clumps that dont mix well into wet ingredients

And then there's the "bug" thing....


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