Measuring Dry & Liquid Ingredients - Basic Kitchen Skills with Dietetics & Nutrition

Summary

In this instructional video, a baker demonstrates the importance of accurate measuring in baking, emphasizing how it affects the outcome of recipes. The video showcases the use of liquid and dry measuring cups, as well as measuring spoons. It details the process of sifting flour to incorporate air and prevent compaction, and the correct way to level off ingredients for precise measurements. The baker also explains how to measure liquid ingredients, ensuring they level off, and solid ingredients like shortening, which should be packed into the measuring cup. The video concludes with a demonstration of using measuring spoons for smaller quantities, providing viewers with essential tips for achieving the best results in baking.

Takeaways

• 📏 Importance of Measuring: Accurate measurement is crucial in baking to ensure recipes turn out correctly.
• 🥄 Types of Measuring Tools: Use liquid measuring cups for wet ingredients and dry measuring cups for dry ingredients.
• 🍽️ Incorporate Air: Whisk dry ingredients like flour to incorporate air and break up clumps before measuring.
• 🕊️ Sifting Flour: Sift flour to remove lumps and ensure accurate measurement, as recipes often require sifted flour.
• 🥄 Scoop and Level: Use a spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup and level it off with an offset spatula for accuracy.
• 🔍 Check Level: For liquid ingredients, check the measurement at eye level to ensure it's accurate.
• 🧈 Packing Solids: For solid ingredients like shortening, pack the measuring cup to ensure a full measure.
• 🥄 Measuring Spoons: Use measuring spoons for smaller amounts of ingredients, and level them off with a utensil.
• 📋 Follow Recipe: Always follow the recipe's instructions for measuring to achieve the best results.
• 🍰 Consistency is Key: Consistent measuring techniques are essential for the success of baked goods.

Q & A

Why is it important to measure ingredients correctly in baking?

Measuring ingredients correctly is crucial in baking because incorrect measurements can significantly affect the outcome of the recipe, potentially causing the cake or other baked goods to not turn out as expected.

What are the two types of measuring cups mentioned in the script?

The script mentions two types of measuring cups: one for liquid ingredients and another for dry ingredients.

How should you treat flour before measuring it with a measuring cup?

Before measuring flour, you should whisk it to incorporate air and break up any clumps or lumps, ensuring it's fine and not packed.

Why is it recommended to sift flour when measuring it?

Sifting flour is recommended because it helps to break up any clumps and ensures a more accurate measurement, as flour can become compacted and throw off the recipe if not properly sifted.

How do you properly fill a dry measuring cup with flour?

To fill a dry measuring cup with flour, you should use a spoon to scoop the flour into the cup, avoiding packing it in, and then level it off with an offset spatula to ensure an accurate measurement.

What tool is used to level off the flour in the measuring cup?

An offset spatula is used to gently level off the flour in the measuring cup, ensuring the top is completely flat for an accurate measurement.

How should you handle measuring liquid ingredients compared to dry ingredients?

Liquid ingredients should be measured at eye level to ensure accuracy, while dry ingredients should be leveled off with a tool like an offset spatula after being spooned into the measuring cup.

What is the difference between measuring dry and liquid ingredients with a measuring cup?

For dry ingredients, the cup should be filled with a spoon and then leveled off, whereas for liquid ingredients, the cup should be filled and the measurement checked at eye level to ensure it's level with the marked line.

Why shouldn't you use a liquid measuring cup for measuring solid fats like shortening?

A liquid measuring cup should not be used for solid fats like shortening because it cannot be leveled off properly; a dry measuring cup is used instead to pack the shortening in and level it off with a spatula.

How do you measure solid fats like shortening or butter using a dry measuring cup?

To measure solid fats, you should pack the shortening into the dry measuring cup, ensuring it fills every edge, and then use an offset spatula to scrape off the excess and level it off.

What is the purpose of using an offset spatula when measuring ingredients?

An offset spatula is used to level off ingredients in a measuring cup, ensuring a flat top for accurate measurements, especially for dry ingredients like flour and solid fats.

Outlines

00:00

🍰 Measuring Techniques for Baking

This paragraph introduces the importance of accurately measuring ingredients in baking, emphasizing that incorrect measurements can ruin a recipe. The speaker demonstrates how to use different measuring tools for both liquid and dry ingredients. They explain the process of sifting flour to incorporate air and prevent compacting, which ensures accurate measurement. The use of a spoon to scoop flour into a measuring cup and an offset spatula to level it off is shown. Additionally, the paragraph covers the correct way to measure liquid ingredients by checking the measurement at eye level to ensure accuracy. The speaker also shows how to measure solid ingredients like shortening, which involves packing the ingredient into the measuring cup and leveling it off with a spatula.

Keywords

💡recipe

A recipe is a set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of ingredients and the steps for combining them. In the context of the video, the term 'recipe' is fundamental as it sets the stage for the importance of accurate measuring. The video emphasizes that following a recipe precisely is crucial for the success of a baking endeavor, and this begins with the correct measurement of ingredients.

💡measuring cups

Measuring cups are tools used in cooking and baking to ensure accurate measurements of ingredients. The video specifically discusses two types: one for liquid ingredients and another for dry ingredients. The script illustrates the use of these cups by showing how to properly measure flour, emphasizing the importance of not packing the flour into the cup to avoid over-measuring.

💡whisk

A whisk is a kitchen utensil used for blending ingredients together or incorporating air into a mixture. In the video, the whisk is used to aerate the flour, which is an important step before measuring to ensure that the flour is not compacted and the measurements are accurate. This is a critical technique demonstrated in the script to achieve the best results in baking.

💡sifting

Sifting is the process of passing dry ingredients through a fine mesh to remove lumps and aerate them. The video script describes sifting flour as a necessary step before measuring, which helps to break up any clumps and ensures a uniform texture. This is a common practice in baking to achieve a lighter, more consistent final product.

💡strainer

A strainer is a kitchen tool used to separate solid particles from liquids or to sift dry ingredients. In the video, the strainer is used to sift the flour into the measuring cup, ensuring that the flour is properly aerated and free of lumps. This is a key step in achieving accurate measurements and is highlighted in the script as part of the proper technique for measuring dry ingredients.

💡offset spatula

An offset spatula is a flat, angled tool used for spreading, scraping, and leveling mixtures. The video demonstrates using an offset spatula to level off the flour in the measuring cup after it has been filled, ensuring that the measurement is accurate and not packed down. This tool is essential for achieving precise measurements in baking.

💡liquid ingredients

Liquid ingredients refer to any ingredients in a recipe that are in a liquid state, such as water, milk, or oil. The video script explains the process of measuring liquid ingredients, emphasizing the importance of leveling the liquid at eye level to ensure an accurate measurement. This is a standard practice in cooking and baking to ensure consistency in recipes.

💡leveling

Leveling is the act of making a surface flat or even, especially in the context of measuring ingredients. The video script describes leveling the top of the flour in the measuring cup with an offset spatula to ensure an accurate measurement. This technique is crucial for preventing over- or under-measuring, which can significantly affect the outcome of a recipe.

💡shortening

Shortening is a type of fat used in baking to provide texture and moistness. The video script includes a demonstration on how to measure shortening, which is different from measuring dry ingredients like flour. Shortening is packed into the measuring cup to ensure a full measure, highlighting the different techniques required for different types of ingredients.

💡measuring spoons

Measuring spoons are small tools used to measure small quantities of ingredients, typically in teaspoons or tablespoons. The video script shows how to use measuring spoons for ingredients like flour, emphasizing the importance of using the right tool for the job. This ensures that even small measurements are accurate, which can be critical in recipes where small quantities of ingredients can significantly impact the final product.

Highlights

Importance of following a recipe in baking

Necessity of correct ingredient measurements

Introduction to liquid and dry measuring cups

Use of measuring spoons for small quantities

Incorporating air into flour with a whisk

Breaking up clumps and lumps in flour

Requirement of sifted flour in most recipes

Using a spoon to scoop flour into measuring cup

Sifting flour using a strainer

Using an offset spatula to level flour

Tapping strainer to remove excess flour

Measuring liquid ingredients and leveling them

Checking measurement at eye level

Measuring shortening and butter with a dry measuring cup

Packing shortening into the measuring cup

Using measuring spoons for dry ingredients

Scraping measuring spoons with a spatula or knife

Following simple tips for the best baking results

Transcripts

[Music]

hi

as a baker i know how important it is to

follow a recipe

you have to make sure you have the

correct ingredients if you don't measure

it correctly

your whole recipe or your cake whatever

you're making can completely

be thrown off so i'm just going to go

ahead and teach you how to use some of

the measuring cups

now here we have a liquid measuring cup

this is for liquid ingredients and this

is for dry ingredients

and we also have measuring spoons so

first i'm gonna go ahead and teach you

how to use the measuring cups

we have a bowl of flour now before we

actually use

the measuring cup flour tends to get

packed in

so we're gonna go ahead and incorporate

some air with whisk so we're just gonna

go ahead and mix it in

we're going to break up any clumps or

lumps that it might have inside

and make it really really fine all right

once we break all these up

we can go ahead and start measuring most

recipes require sifted flour

you don't want to scoop it in because it

all it will do is get compact again

so we're going to have a spoon and we're

actually going to spoon everything in

so first we're going to end up sifting

it

we have a bowl with our strainer

we're going to actually scoop in

the flour it's okay if it makes mess

it's not a big deal

clean it up later

[Music]

so once we're done scoop it in you want

to get it all into the cup

again don't want to pack it in once we

think we have enough

we're going to take an offset spatula so

we're going to do a gentle top on the

top

once you get all the edges full of flour

we're going to just gently level it off

it should be completely flat on the top

all right then we're gonna put go ahead

and put it in our strainer

and just gently tap our strainer

now if it's taking too long or if

there's more clumps or lumps in there

you're going to go ahead and just take

your spoon and just kind of

scrape the bottom until all the flour

gets completely

out of the strainer it goes through

all right and that's basically it then

now you have some sifted flour

so now that's worth our dry ingredients

all right next we're going to go ahead

and measure out

liquid ingredients again when you're

measuring this out normally your

ingredients going to always level itself

off

and just to confirm that it's at the

right measurement you're going to go

down

we're going to look at our line and get

onto eye level and make sure it's

completely where it needs to be

so here i've measured out two cups now

another ingredient we tend to

use is a lot of shortening and butter so

i'm going to go ahead and show you how

to measure that out

we're going to take a dry measuring cup

we don't want to use the liquid because

then you can't it doesn't level itself

out so we're going to use some

shortening here

and we're going to go ahead and scoop it

in now you do want to pack

this the shortening anyway shortening

peanut butter

yogurt you want to push it down so

you're going to go ahead and just

put the shortening into your cup again

making sure it gets

each edge of your cup

[Music]

all right so we're going to just pack it

in

make sure it's all into every edge

and then again take an offset spatula

and kind of scrape it off

now lastly we're going to show you how

to use the measuring spoons

here we have some flour and just like

the measuring cups we're gonna take

this one you can actually just spoon it

through

and use an offset spatula again or a

knife

and scrape it right through all right

perfect

now you know how to measure just make

sure that you do follow these simple

tips

and you'll always get the best results