How to Measure Flour Correctly

If your cookies come out dry and cakey or your bread is dense, the most likely cause is too much flour. Scooping the cup straight into the bag packs the flour down, adding as much as a quarter more than the recipe intends.

The spoon-and-level method

Fluff the flour in its bag or canister with a spoon.
Spoon it into the measuring cup until it mounds over the top. Do not tap or shake the cup.
Level it off with the back of a knife.

Measured this way, one cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 125 grams.

Why a scale is better

A digital scale removes the guesswork completely and saves washing up: you can weigh everything straight into one bowl. Every recipe on this site lists weights next to cup measures for the ingredients where it matters most.