How many grams does a cup of all purpose weigh.

I have seen ranges from 120 to 160 grams per cup and that is confusing me.

Samurs
  • Posted by: Samurs
  • June 4, 2022
  • 3820 views
  • 5 Comments

5 Comments

AntoniaJames June 6, 2022
It depends entirely on who is measuring the flour into that cup. Use a recipe that provides mass measures, full stop. Or, ask the recipe developer how much their typical cup of flour weighs. A chart simply cannot be reliable, except in the context of a particular recipe developer. For example, in my favorite high-altitude baking book, "Pie in the Sky" by Susan Purdy, the recipes are stated in volume measures, but there's a chart at the back listing virtually every ingredient in both volume and mass measures. King Arthur Baking also provides a chart - but they provide all of their recipes (I think) in both mass and volume, so you can just click on the mass version in the first instance. ;o)
 
Samurs June 4, 2022
Thanks for the comment about using a reliable source. Cooks magazine’s favorite pie dough calls for 2.5 cups of ap flour or 12.5 ounces which calculates to 141 grams. King Arthur says 1 cup of ap flour weighs 120 grams. I would consider that both of these sources are reliable. So I am still confused.
 
702551 June 4, 2022
Remember that everyone will pack flour differently into a measuring cup. This illustrates the utter stupidity of volumetric measures for this ingredient.

In the case of following a recipe from a reputable source that provides mass based measurements follow the recipe as written.

When I want to convert from volumetric to mass measurements, typically I will do it myself. I weigh the measuring receptacle put the ingredients in it, then figure out the mass measurement. Pencil this into the recipe. The next time, I can leave the measuring cup in the drawer.

This goes back to Stella Parks's rant about volume-based measurements and how utterly idiotic they are. Her example is measuring out a pound of flour using cup measurements. She quotes 3 1/2 cups. Not only can that vary in weight by each person doing it, it's slow.

Put empty mixing bowl on counter. Fill cup, level with knife, repeat twice, then switch to a 1/2 cup measure. 20 seconds? 30 seconds? A minute?

Or put bowl on scale, press tare and tip out one pound of flour (454 grams). Maybe 2-3 seconds.
 
702551 June 4, 2022
My recommendation is that you find an online ingredient weight chart from a reputable source and stay with it, rather than randomly dig through whatever your favorite Internet search engine dumps on your screen.

Here's one from well-regarded King Arthur Baking

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart

which I would expect to be reliably consistent rather than whatever some random food blogger claims.

Some cookbooks also provide such ingredient conversion charts.

The point is to pick a reputable source and stick with ONE not many.

Best of luck.
 
Samurs June 4, 2022
Sorry, I meant to say “all purpose flour”.
 
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