My bread always came out dense until I switched to a kitchen scale 6 months ago

I used to measure flour with measuring cups. Scoop and level. Thought it was fine. But my sandwich loaves were bricks. Dense and heavy every time. A baker friend told me I was packing in 50 extra grams of flour per cup. Picked up a $15 digital scale at Target. Now I use 500 grams of bread flour for my standard loaf. First batch came out fluffy and light. Night and day difference. Has anyone else had a simple tool completely change their baking results?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_olivia20d ago

That whole '500 grams of flour changes depending on humidity' thing is real, I swear my kitchen feels like a swamp half the year. My sister swears by her scale for cookies because her measuring cups make them flat, but for muffins she just eyeballs it. Guess baking's more about feel than people admit.

olivia_murphy20d ago

My $15 scale collects dust in the cabinet actually. I went back to measuring cups after trying the scale for a few months and my breads are way BETTER now. The problem for me was that 500 grams of flour changes depending on humidity, the brand, even what day it is. I'm using King Arthur all-purpose, spoon gently into the cup, and level with a knife. My sourdough boules come out perfectly open and airy every time now. Different strokes for different folks I guess, or maybe it's just what you get used to.