I find it so ironic that professional chefs always emphasize how important it is to measure flour using a scale so that results are consistent, while at the same time there is no consistency in what that measurement should be. I was told that a cup of flour comes in at 125 grams when I was in culinary school, so that’s what I go with when converting a recipe from cups to grams. Do you have any idea why we haven’t been able to reach a consensus when it comes to such a fundamental ingredient?
There is no consensus for the reasons explained in the essay. The problem lies in the use of cups as a "reliable" tool of measurement and human error in how the flour is dealt with. This is why professional chefs will weigh ingredients during recipe development rather than use the cup measure. I've noticed this plays out more in American recipes than ones from Europe, the latter rarely rely on cups.
I thought chocolate chips were just measured with your heart...
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I find it so ironic that professional chefs always emphasize how important it is to measure flour using a scale so that results are consistent, while at the same time there is no consistency in what that measurement should be. I was told that a cup of flour comes in at 125 grams when I was in culinary school, so that’s what I go with when converting a recipe from cups to grams. Do you have any idea why we haven’t been able to reach a consensus when it comes to such a fundamental ingredient?
There is no consensus for the reasons explained in the essay. The problem lies in the use of cups as a "reliable" tool of measurement and human error in how the flour is dealt with. This is why professional chefs will weigh ingredients during recipe development rather than use the cup measure. I've noticed this plays out more in American recipes than ones from Europe, the latter rarely rely on cups.