Introduction to measuring

ingredients
Scaling and Measuring Ingredients
After the completion of this section, the student
should be able to:
• Explain the importance of weighing baking
ingredients.
• Use a baker’s balance scale and digital scale to
weigh ingredients
• Weigh ingredients accurately in U.S. standard and
metric
• Convert one unit of weight to another.
 Measuring in kitchens
Ingredients can be measured two different ways
• by weight 
• by volume
 Measuring by Volume
What do you use to measure your ingredients at
home?
Why is it not advisable to use in professional
bakeshops?
• Inconsistent results depending on how firmly
measure is packed or compressed
• Flour settles so different results each week
• Heaped or flattened?
U.S. Standard units of measurements
Volume Weight
Fluid ounces Pounds
Gallons Ounces
Quarts
Pints
Cups
Tablespoons
Teaspoons
Metric units of measurement
Volume Weight
Commonly used Commonly used
•Liters •Kilograms
•Milliliters •Grams

Other Other
•Deciliters •Centigram
•Dekaliters •Decigram
•Centiliters •Dekagram
•Hectoliters •Hectogram
 Volume equivalencies

Volume measures Volume equivalents

1 gallon 4 quarts
1 quart 2 pints
1 pint 2 cups
1 cup 16 tablespoons
1 tablespoon 3 teaspoons
1 liter 1000 milliliters
1 liter 33.8 fluid ounces
 Metric Equivalencies
  Fluid Ounce Liter Milliliter
1 gallon 128 fl. oz 3.785 L ______ ml

1 liter 33.8 fl. oz XXXX 1000 ml

1 quart 32 fl. oz. 0.946 L 946 ml

1 pint 16 fl. oz 0.473 L 473 ml

1 cup 8 fl. oz. 0.237 L 237 ml
1 fl oz     29.57 ml ~
1T 0.5 fl. oz   15 ml ~
1t 0.167 fl. oz   5 ml
 Weight equivalencies
1 pound 16 ounces
1 ounce 28.35 grams
1 kilogram 35.27 ounces

2.204 pounds
1 kilogram
or 2.2 pounds (rounded for ease)
1 kilogram 1000 grams
1 gram 0.035 ounce
 Why metric?
• Internationally recognized system of measurement
- US only industrialized country not using it     
• Based on zero's or decimals
– For example to go from smaller unit like meters to
larger units like Kilometers, move decimal places to
left. 
• 1000 meters = 1.000 kilometers
• 200 meters= 0.2 kilometers
• 1245678 meters= ___________ kilometers
 1 kilogram = 1000 Grams
– To convert between kilograms and grams move 3
decimal places

• Convert 251890 grams to kilograms

• Convert 123456 Kilograms to grams

Tools used to measure ingredients
Measuring Volume Measuring Weight

Cup measures Balance scales

Pitchers Digital scales
Teaspoons and
tablespoon
Scoops or dishers
Ladles
Scoops as a volume measurement
What does the scoop number indicate?
• numbered by the number of scoops in a quart

• Scoop number 20 means you will get 20

scoops from a quart using that size
1. How many fluid ounces are in a #100 scoop?
_________
 
Fl. Oz per scoop = 1 quart = 32 oz
Scoop number Scoop
number
 
 
 
2. If you want a 1 ounce cookie, what number scoop
would you use?
Scoop number = 1 quart = 32 fl. oz
Desired fl.oz Desired fl. oz
Measuring by Weight
 Equipment
Balance Scales
- favored for larger quantities of dry
ingredients of dough
Digital scales
- Favored for smaller precise measurements
 Hopper
Tare

Weights

Slider
On/OFF
Tare

Kg/lb mode
 Kendall Scales
• 13lbs * 0.1 oz
6 kg * 1 gr

• Capacity= _____ lbs or _______ kg

Readability= ____ ounces or _______ grams
Precision= readability *10
• Any weight less than 10 grams do not tare
hopper
 Bridge Method
• Old unit of measurement to be removed
• New unit of measurement to be converted to
• Conversion factor or equivalencies
Old weight and unit New unit
Old unit
 Convert 36 oz to pounds

Old weight and unit New unit

Old unit
 Convert 36 Pounds to ounces

Old weight and unit New unit

Old unit
 Convert 78 teaspoons to cups

Old weight and unit New unit

Old unit
 Converting mixed weights
E.g. converting 2 lbs 12 oz to only lbs
12 oz * 1 lb = 0.75 lb
1 16 oz

2 lb + 0.75 lbs = 2.75 lbs or 2 ¾ lb

• Convert 26 tablespoons into cups
26 T * 1 C = 1.625 cups
1 16T

0.625 cups= 0.625 cups * 16 T = 10 T

1 1C

So the answer is 1 cup and 10 tablespoons

 In class assignment
• In teams students will convert this and enter
results on blackboard
Weight in Weight in Weight in oz or
Ingredients Old weight
grams Kilograms lbs

Water 15 oz
Yeast, fresh 1 oz
Flour, bread 1.5 lbs
Salt 0.5 oz
Sugar 1 oz
 Mixed measurements
• Ingredients using both pounds and ounces
• From previous example the 3 ways to write in
U.S. Standard units are
a) Flour = 1.5 pounds
b) Flour = __________ ounces
c) Flour = ___ pounds and _______ ounces