FoodBanter.com - View Single Post - Problem converting volume to weight (flour and cocoa)

U.S. Janet B.

On Sun, 02 Apr 2017 15:18:32 -0400, wrote:

>Dave Smith wrote:
>>
>>I can picture someone using a measuring cup to scoop out flour for
>>weighing. Thinking that the 4.2 oz they need is how much a cup of flour
>>weighs, they get out their measuring cup, level it off and dump it onto
>>the scale. Bingo... 4.2 oz. Voila.... weighing is more accurate. ;-)
>
>On a humid day that 4.2 ounces will consist of less flour and more
>water. Professional bakers judge by sight, sound, and feel, not so
>much by weight or volume... When a recipe calls for 100 pounds of
>flour they tend to hold back about 5 pounds and they'll adjust by
>adding some of that bench flour as needed. Baking is really no more
>precise an enterprise than cooking.
>Keep in mind that flour is made from grain, a produce crop, every
>batch/lot is different and behaves differently... a bakery is not a
>phamaceutical endeaver.
>

Sheldon, mills these days analyze the flour output and adjust to make
it conform to specific standards. This is especially true for large
baking companies and bakeries that order direct from the mill. These
companies order by specifications -- so much protein, so much ash,
etc. These are important components in the success of bakeries
product output. Flour packaged for the home consumer is also
subjected to analysis and adjustment so that the consumer can be
assured of consistent results. Not all white all purpose flour is
created equal. Not all bread flour is created equal. That is why
bread bakers recommend certain brands of bread flour to each other --
certain brands give better results.
P.S. that argument about flour absorbing water from the air is
disproved -- unless you are keeping an open bag of flour in a swamp,
humidity is a non-factor.
Janet US