How to Measure Flour
Use a kitchen scale when your recipe gives flour in grams.
Without a scale, loosen the flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level the top. Avoid pressing it down or tapping the cup to fit more in.
How to measure flour
Choose the method that matches the equipment you have. If your recipe specifies a measuring technique, follow it along with the flour type and amount.
With a kitchen scale
- Place the scale on a flat, stable surface and select grams.
- Set an empty bowl on the scale.
- Press tare or zero so the display reads 0g with the bowl in place.
- Add flour until you reach the recipe's weight. Remove any excess before mixing.
The bowl's weight should not count toward the flour amount. If the recipe calls for 240g, the target is 240g of flour, regardless of how many cups it appears to fill. King Arthur's measuring guide explains this weighing method.
Without a scale: spoon and level
- Loosen the flour. Stir it gently in its container with a spoon.
- Fill the cup. Spoon flour into a dry measuring cup until it rises above the rim.
- Level the top. Sweep a straight edge across the rim to remove the excess.
Keep the flour loose as you fill the cup. Do not press it down, shake the cup or tap it against the counter. Betty Crocker's measuring instructions likewise use stirring, spooning and leveling for flour.
For multiple cups, repeat the same method each time. A cup you can level at the rim makes this easier than trying to judge a mound against a line inside a jug.
Why scooping straight from the bag can change the amount
Pushing the measuring cup through flour can compress it. Leveling the top removes the mound, but it does not undo the packing underneath.
That means two level cups can contain different weights. If you have a scale, you can check this yourself: weigh a cup filled by scooping, then weigh one filled by spooning and leveling. The difference depends on how you fill them; there is no single correction to subtract from every scooped cup.
How many grams should one cup of flour weigh?
This site's baseline is 120g per US Customary cup of all-purpose flour, based on King Arthur's ingredient weight chart. That makes ½ cup 60g and 2 cups 240g under the same reference.
It is a conversion reference, not a promise that every cup you fill will weigh exactly 120g. Follow your recipe's own gram equivalent when it provides one, and do not apply an all-purpose flour reference to every flour type.
Use the flour grams-to-cups converter for a specific weight. If you have a cup amount and need grams, use the cups-to-grams converter with the appropriate flour selected.
Do I need to sift flour?
Follow the recipe. Sifting can remove lumps and add air, but it is not a required extra step for every recipe. King Arthur's sifting guide explains when it can help.
If the instructions say to sift before measuring, do that first. If they say to measure and then sift, keep that order. Do not assume a freshly sifted cup and an unsifted cup have identical weights.
When working in grams, keep the recipe's target weight and sift as directed. Transfer all the measured flour; leaving some in the sieve or on the counter reduces what reaches the bowl.
Before you add the flour
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Flour type | Use the type named in the recipe. |
| Measurement | Follow the recipe's grams when available; otherwise use its cup amount and method. |
| Cup size | Check the cup's mL marking against the recipe's standard. |
| Preparation | Follow any instruction to sift before or after measuring. |
Our cup-size guide explains the available measurement settings. For the references used across ingredients, see the grams-per-cup chart.