Although it depends on the type of flour used, 500 grams of all-purpose flour is generally equivalent to 4 cups. There are approximately 125 grams in every cup of flour, so you can switch between the two measurements by dividing the number of grams by 125. However, because grams measure weight but cups measure volume, different substances convert between the two units of measurement at different rates. Even other types of flour, such as whole wheat or rye, may convert at different rates due to differences in weight.
Measuring while baking isn’t always as easy as it seems, especially when it comes to flour. These tips will ensure you’re using the right amount of flour in the kitchen — no more and no less.
Measuring Flour in Cups
While having the exact right amount of flour in a recipe may not seem like a big deal, getting it wrong can sabotage even the best recipes. Too much flour can lead to cookies that are heavy and crumbly rather than soft and chewy and bread that’s too dense.
Despite how important measuring flour is, many cooks still get it wrong. That’s because scooping flour for measurements tends to densely pack it together, leading to too much of it — sometimes as much as 50 percent more than you need. What you should do instead is either gently pour the flour, or better yet, lightly spoon it in. Either way, you should fill the cup above where you need it before leveling it off with the back of a knife or other tool. You may need to do so a second time to make it truly, and you should take care to avoid shaking or patting the cup — that can compress the flour. Consider gently stirring the flour afterward to get rid of lumps and ensure there isn’t more flour in the cup than your recipe calls for.
Sifting also poses its own challenges. While a cup of flour, sifted means that you should measure the flour out and then sift it, a sifted cup of flour means that you should sift first and measure second. Sifting can introduce more air into the flour, so a cup of flour, sifted likely contains more flour than a sifted cup of flour.
The Advantages of Measuring Flour by Weight
While it’s more common in the United States to measure flour by volume (cups), measuring by weight (grams or other units) is usually more accurate, since it doesn’t matter whether the flour is loose or packed. It may be more convenient to stick with measuring cups if you don’t have a scale, but if you already have one or are willing to buy one, it’s generally the better choice.
Just as there are 125 grams (or 4 ½ ounces) in a cup of all-purpose flour, there are also handy approximations for other kinds of flour. One cup is about equal to 115 grams or 4 ounces of sifted all-purpose flour; 130 grams or 4 ½ ounces of bread flour; 121 grams or 4 ¼ ounces of sifted bread flour; 115 grams or 4 ounces of cake flour; or 100 grams or 3 ½ ounces of sifted cake flour.
Dry vs. Liquid Measurement
You might think that all measuring cups can be used for dry and liquid ingredients just as easily, but that’s not the case. The key difference is where the final measurement lies on the cup: a liquid measuring cup leaves a bit of room between the top of the cup and the last number to help prevent spills, while a dry measuring cup doesn’t. If you use a dry measuring cup for a liquid and fill it up to the final measurement, some of the liquid will likely pour over the side on accident, while if you use a liquid measuring cup for something like flour, you won’t be able to pour in a heaping amount of flower and skim off the top with a knife for a precise measurement. It may seem silly, but having one of each is necessary for preventing messes and the use of too much flour.