I used to laugh at people who weigh their flour

For years I thought weighing flour was for people who wore lab coats in the kitchen. I figured estimating with a measuring cup was close enough and never had issues with cookies or muffins. Then I tried making a brioche recipe that kept coming out dry and dense no matter what. After three failed batches in two weeks I caved and spent $15 on a kitchen scale. The brioche came out perfect the first time and now I weigh everything for bread. Has anyone else had a specific recipe that forced them to change their method?

3 comments

3 Comments

oscarc531mo ago

Did you ever read that article about how flour settles in the bag and a cup can weigh anywhere from 4 to 6 ounces? That was the moment it clicked for me. I was always on team measuring cup until I tried making sourdough and realized I had no control over hydration. The dough was either a gluey mess or a brick. Once I got a scale I felt stupid for resisting so long. It's not about being fancy, it's about not wasting ingredients. Now I weigh everything including water and it saves me from having to wash extra measuring cups too.

sarah_hart1mo ago

Oh man, that brioche story hits close to home. My stubborn moment was with pie crust. I made this family recipe for years using a cup and it always turned out okay but never great. Then my aunt watched me once and said "you're packing the flour way too tight" and I didn't believe her. She brought over her scale the next weekend and we made two crusts side by side, one with the cup and one weighed. The difference was so obvious I almost threw my measuring cups in the trash. Now I have three different scales for different things, one just for bread flour and one for general baking. It's like a whole new world opened up where recipes actually work the way they're supposed to.

johnson.paul16d ago

Ha! @sarah_hart same thing happened to me but with pancake mix. Now I'm the weirdo with a scale at breakfast.