How to Sift Flour: 6 Steps (with Pictures) is a Southern Living publication.
It's a good idea to have an old fashioned flour sifter on hand if you don't need it very often.
They used to be in every kitchen, sometimes attached to a Hoosier cabinet.If the home cook wanted tender cakes and biscuits, they needed a flour sifter.It is a good idea to have a sifter on hand for a few times when you need it.If one recipe tells you to sift flour but another doesn't, how do you know if it's necessary?
You can get a more accurate measurement if you put your flour through a sifter.Unsifted flour is heavier than sifted flour and can be difficult to mix with other ingredients.
When making baked items such as cookies and bars, your recipe instructions may tell you to measure all dry ingredients, including flour, spices, cocoa, etc., then sift together.Before they are mixed with other ingredients, this process helps to combine everything evenly.If you don't have a sifter, use a wire whisk or fine mesh strainer to blend the dry ingredients.
In the past, it was necessary to sift in order to separate the flour from the debris.Today's commercial flours are refined enough to not be used for sifting in baking.It is a good idea to always stir your flour before measuring, spoon it into your dry measuring cup, then level it off with a knife.There are no clumps or air pockets in the flour and you get the exact measurement you need when baking those fabulous layer cakes for family reunions and other special events.
There are some recipes that use sifted flour.The flour in angel food or sponge cakes needs to be sifted to prevent the batter from weighing it down.
It's a good idea to sift when your flour seems to be tightly packed.Measure before you sift to make sure you get the right amount.