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Questions tagged [sifting]

Questions about the process of sifting, where a dry ingredient (e.g. flour) is run through a mesh to remove clumps or foreign materials.

Sifting is important to accurately measure by volume. Other dry ingredients such as and can be sifted with the flour to mix them evenly.

Sifting is commonly used in , such as with and .

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Do I need to sift flour that is labeled sifted?

Is there really an advantage to sifting flour that I bought that was labeled 'sifted'?
cgp
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What is the physical effect of sifting dry ingredients for a cake?

I notice that for recipes that call to sift the dry ingredients, most usually cakes or cupcakes, there is a noticeable difference in the batter after the wets have been incorporated. What are the physics for sifting dry ingredients? How does this…
Jason P Sallinger
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What is the purpose of sifting dry ingredients?

What is the purpose of sifting dry ingredients (esp. with flour)? I heard in one place that it was because this is the best way to mix them well. I heard somewhere else that this is a carry-over from when flour used to still contain some chaff.…
Dinah
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Meaning of 'sift together'

What is the exact meaning of the phrase 'sift together'? If I need to 'sift together' flour, baking power, baking soda, and salt, does that mean put each one into the sifter sequentially, operating the sifter until is is empty before adding the next…
sirdank
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How can I make sifting easier?

I'm at the point where I will completely avoid certain recipes simply because they require sifting and I find it incredibly tedious. Is there a better method? A better tool? A magic sifter?
Tara Porrey
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What Kinds of Recipes Should I Sift/Aerate The Flour?

We've talked about methods for sifting flour (How can I make sifting easier?), and the purposes of sifting (What is the purpose of sifting dry ingredients?). How can I tell whether a recipe specifies sifting for aeration? How can I tell when to…
KatieK
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Do sifting and whisking do the exact same thing?

Some recipes suggest to sift the dry ingredients while some others say whisk the dry ingredients. Do they have the same effect?
Gigili
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Do I need to sift flour for quick breads?

I am making mini quick breads for Christmas. The recipe calls for 3 cups of flour. Do I need to sift the flour? If so, should I sift it before or after measuring?
Frances Ellen
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separating almond flour from almond meal

I've been experimenting with almond flour for baking bread because I have a hard time digesting starches. I've progressed to the point where my bread made from 50:50 (almond:wheat flours) is almost indistinguishable from 100% wheat flour. That's a…
alx9r
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Why does my flour sifter have cup markings

I have an inexpensive flour sifter that just has wire mesh and a little hand-crank (like one of these 1, 2.) It has cup markings on the side ("one cup," "two cups"). This is probably a silly question, but why? Doesn't the flour just start pouring…
anon
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