Baking question

8 years ago

Do you sift? I'm baking cookies today, for and with mY 2 and a half YO grand-daughter. My question- Do you sift flour for cookies? The last couple of years, I haven't been sifting. I use all-purpose flour. I just scoop and measure.

Featured Answer

mamapinky0

8 years ago

And remember it depends on how the recipe is written...

1 cup of flour sifted isn't the same as 1 cup of sifted flour.

1 cup of flour sifted= measure out 1 cup of flour than sift and use it all.

1 cup of sifted flour= sift the flour than measure out 1 cup.

Yes this makes a difference.

I don't sift unless its for something delicate.

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Comments (14)

diane_nj 6b/7a
8 years ago
For cookies, no. Yes for cakes.
Summer
8 years ago
No, unless the recipe specifies to do so.
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dchall_san_antonio
8 years ago
If you wanted to be the most accurate, you would weigh the flour on a scale. That way it doesn't matter if you sift or not.

For a fun experiment, do your normal scooping into a measuring cup and then tap the bottom of the cup against the counter 20 times or so. You can see how much volume changes as the flour compresses.

Some recipes benefit from a thorough mixing like you might get if you mixed the dry ingredients together and sifted them after mixing. Sometimes a blender works well if it is light enough to lift and turn over while blending.
rob333 (zone 7b)
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I sift!

I'm with dchall on this one. My baking improved greatly when I began weighing. Getting us all to agree on the weight for flour may differ. 4.4 oz is a cup for me. Don't have it in grams, but I think it's something like a 120 gms. Close enough :) Happy baking.
User
8 years ago
I never sift. For high altitude recipe adjustment you add flour.
anoriginal
8 years ago
i sift just to get rid of any lumps. flour/sugar... stored in air-tight containers has a LONG shelf-life so virtually never goes bad. but it can get lumpy. if not a huge quantity... a quick zizz in food processor does the sifting.
wildchild2x2
8 years ago
What Mamapinky said. I do fluff the flour a bit before scooping it from the canister.
Bluebell66
8 years ago
I weigh everything and only sift to fluff when necessary.
basilcook3
8 years ago
In cookies, no but in cakes I like too so it gets that really fluffy and light texture.
arcy_gw
8 years ago
No never. Milling has changed since those instructions were written. I make cakes from a box. NEVER have a I had "scratch" cake that was NEAR as moist as a box.
rob333 (zone 7b)
8 years ago
I also sift box mixes. It improves the outcome, and goodness knows what might have landed in there during packaging.
tami_ohio
8 years ago
Depends on what recipe I am using. I have one that won't stay together if I don't sift, then measure. The others I put through the sifter to blend in the other dry ingredients, is all.
vicsgirl
Original Author
8 years ago
Thinking back,I am using my mother's christmas cookie recipes. She never sifted flour, just spooned it in. Thanks to all wjo responded!

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Baking question

mamapinky0

Comments (14)

diane_nj 6b/7a

Summer

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