Flour Weight Calculator

The conversion from volume to weight is the most important step in professional baking. Measuring flour by cups is inaccurate because the density changes depending on how the flour is packed. To get perfect results, you must convert your volume measurements into Weight (Grams or Ounces).

For example, a cup of all-purpose flour can weigh anywhere from 120g to 160g depending on if it was sifted or packed down. This calculator uses standardized density values to ensure your bread, cakes, and pastries have the exact hydration and structure intended by the recipe creator.

Different flours have different densities based on their protein content and how finely they are milled. Use these standards to understand your ingredients:

• All-Purpose Flour: The baseline standard, weighing approximately 120 grams per cup. It provides the medium protein level needed for most general baking tasks.
• Bread Flour: Heavier and more dense, usually around 140 grams per cup. The higher protein content means more weight and more strength for yeasted doughs.
• Cake Flour: Very light and finely milled, averaging 115 grams per cup. This lower weight ensures a tender, delicate crumb in sponges and fine cakes.
• Whole Wheat Flour: Averages 125-130 grams per cup. It is heavier because it includes the bran and germ of the wheat kernel, which adds physical mass.
• Gluten-Free Blends: These vary wildly but often average around 128 grams per cup. They usually contain heavy starches like rice flour or potato starch to mimic wheat.

Converting volume to weight is used by bakers to ensure consistency across different kitchen environments:

• Scaling Recipes: Professional bakers use weight to double or triple recipes accurately, as small volume errors become massive mistakes when multiplied.
• Commercial Kitchens: Using grams instead of cups allows for faster preparation and fewer dishes, as multiple ingredients can be weighed in the same bowl.
• Dietary Precision: For gluten-free or keto baking using almond or coconut flour, weight is the only way to ensure the highly absorbent flours don’t ruin the moisture balance.
• International Recipes: Many European and metric-based recipes only list ingredients in grams; this tool lets you translate those recipes into the units you are comfortable with.
• Cost Control: Bakeries calculate their “cost per gram” to price their products. Knowing the exact weight of the flour used is the first step in profitable baking.

Understanding these technical terms will help you master the science of baking and ingredient measurement:

• Gram (g): The most accurate unit for baking. One gram of water is exactly one milliliter, making metric math much easier for bakers.
• Tare/Zero: The function on a scale that subtracts the weight of your bowl so you are only measuring the weight of the flour added.
• Hydration: The ratio of water to flour by weight. This is the “secret” to perfect sourdough and artisan breads.
• Sifting: Passing flour through a mesh to add air. This decreases the density and makes the volume measurement even more inaccurate, which is why weighing is better.
• Protein Content: The amount of gluten-forming protein in the flour. Generally, higher protein equals a higher weight per cup.
• Extraction: How much of the whole wheat grain is left in the flour. “High extraction” flours are usually heavier and darker.