Is sifting necessary?

Is sifting necessary?

Sifting flour used to be necessary to separate out things like bugs or chaff (husk of corn or seeds). Commercial flour, however, is refined enough now that this process is generally unnecessary in ordinary, everyday baking.

Do you really need to sift flour?

Now, most commercial flour is refined and clump-free, meaning there’s no real need to sift it. (You should, however, use a kitchen scale to ensure that your cups of flour aren’t way heavier than the recipe developer’s.)

What tool do you use for sifting?

You can sift flour with a flour sifter or a fine-mesh strainer. My preference is the strainer because it’s a versatile kitchen tool that can be used for more than task.

Is a strainer the same as a sifter?

In cooking, a sifter is used to separate and break up clumps in dry ingredients such as flour, as well as to aerate and combine them. A strainer (see Colander), meanwhile, is a form of sieve used to separate suspended solids from a liquid by filtration.

Do you need to sift granulated sugar?

Even then, there is probably no need to sift the flour and sugar together, should you need to mix the two. Granulated sugar may have some lumps as well. And brown sugar is often lumpy. Of course, if your brown sugar has turned into hard clumps, you need more than a sifter.

How do you make a homemade sifter?

If you don’t have a strainer or sifter, you can use a wire whisk to sift the flour. In addition to a wire whisk, get a bowl large enough to contain as much flour as you need. If you don’t have a wire whisk, you can use a fork in a pinch. Go for a bigger fork, as this will allow you to sift the flour more efficiently.

Will a strainer work as a sifter?

The most common substitution for a flour sifter is a fine mesh strainer (I like this set). Unlike bulky flour sifters, strainers are multitaskers. Simply load the dry ingredients into the bowl of the strainer, hold it with one hand and tap it against the other hand to move the ingredients through.

Can I use a strainer instead of a sieve?

Yes you can use a strainer to sift a powdered ingredient such as flour if you are in a sifting dilemma. Using a fine mesh strainer will sift any powdered ingredient but it may require more patience and time than if using a sifter. Just ensure the strainer you are using is clean and dry.

Can you sift flour with a mixer?

To sift or not to sift, that is the question! Sifting flour and dry ingredients together isn’t a necessary mixing step in most recipes. You can also use a stand mixer: place all of the dry ingredients into the mixer bowl, and with a paddle attachment, turn it on low for a few seconds to mix.