How to Sift Flour

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Learn How to Sift Flour like a professional, even if you donโ€™t own a handheld sifter. Sifting is the key to light-as-air cookies, lump-free cake batters, and all your best pastries. Hereโ€™s how to do it, when to do it, and why it matters.

Flour being sifted onto parchment paper.


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When your favorite cake recipe calls for sifted flour, donโ€™t leave out this crucial step. Removing flour clumps is the key to fluffy angel food cakes, the softest sponge cakes, smooth chiffon cake, and lump-free pancake batter.

Even if you donโ€™t have a baking sifter knocking around in your cupboard somewhere, you can aerate flour like a pro in no time at all. Learn the methods with a hand sifter, a fine mesh strainer, or a whisk.

Tutorial notes

  • Why do it: When a modern recipe calls for sifted flour, it usually means that the recipe requires fluffier, aerated flour, or flour without any lumps. As it is packaged, shipped, and stored, unsifted flour settles in the bag. Sifting lightens it up again. It also creates space for the other components in the recipe to get in between the flour particles and do their work. Cakes become fluffier, pancakes lighter; you get the idea.
  • When to do it:ย Should you sift flour forย allย recipes, even if they donโ€™t specify?ย No.ย Commercial flour has already been sifted several times, so unless the recipe you are reading specifically requires it, you shouldnโ€™t have to take the extra step. Always sift your dry ingredients before adding to the wet ingredients.
  • Sift then measure, or measure then sift:ย This is important. And itโ€™s easy to determineย ifย you read your particular recipe carefully.
    • If the recipe calls forย 3 cups sifted flour,ย then you need toย pre-sift the flour into a bowl and then measure the flour.
    • If the recipe calls forย 3 cups flour, sifted,ย thenย measure the flour first, and then sift it.
Sifted flour on parchment paper with a flour sifter next to it.

Step-by-step instructions

You can sift flour with a flour sifter or a fine-mesh strainer. My preference is the strainer because itโ€™s a versatile kitchen tool that can be used for more than one task. And the flour sifter hurts my hand after a while.

  • Fine-mesh strainer:ย A strainer (or sieve) is a circular gadget with a finely woven mesh net used for straining liquids such as stocks or juice. It also works really well for sifting flour. Just pour your dry ingredients in it and gently tap the side with one hand. Anything left in the bottom can be pushed through with a wooden spoon. If your colander has small holes, that can work too.
  • Flour sifter:ย A flour sifter is a kitchen device that looks like a cup with a handle and a mesh strainer on the bottom. Some sifters have mechanical blades that help push the flour through the mesh, while others donโ€™t. As you squeeze the handle (or turn the crank) the blades are activated and sifted flour falls out the bottom of the cup.
  • Whisk or fork: If you donโ€™t have a fine-mesh sieve, just add the flour to a dry bowl and whisk it briskly with a whisk. The aeration from a quick whisking motion will break up more clumps than not whisking at all. In a pinch, use a fork.

You can sift flour into a bowl, but parchment paper (or foil) makes the best funnel. When youโ€™re done sifting, just lift the paper and aim it at your mixing bowl. Itโ€™s much cleaner than trying to pour dry ingredients out of a large bowl into a second bowl attached to a mixer.

Dry ingredients for vanilla cake in a mixing bowl.

Tutorial tips and variations

  • Storage: Store flour in an airtight storage container in a dark, cool place (such as the back of a pantry shelf). Add oxygen absorbers to the sealed container to prevent oxidation and extend the shelf life of the flour. Adding a bay leaf in the flour container will help keep bugs at bay.
  • Freezer: Transfer flour to a freezer-safe container. Label, date, and freeze up to 2 years for white flour, and 1 year for whole grain flour.
  • Best way to measure flour: Spoon flour out of the bag and directly into the measuring cup. Make a high mound on the top of the cup, then level off the measuring cup by pushing the excess flour off using the back of a knife.
  • Wrong way to measure flour: Do not scoop or dip the cup into the flour because it packs the flour into the cup and will result in too much flour in your recipe. Also, never dip, tap, tamp, jiggle, shake, or pack flour down into the measuring cup.
  • Sifting other ingredients: Sifting is not just for flour! Dry ingredients like salt, baking soda, baking powder, brown sugar, or dry milk are sometimes sifted together, to distribute them better. Both cocoa powder and confectionersโ€™ sugar are often sifted to remove lumps as they are dusted over finished baked goods.
Dusting meringue mushrooms with cocoa powder.
Sifting cocoa powder over meringue mushrooms for a Bว”che de Noรซl Cake.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you really need to sift flour?

When a modern recipe calls for sifted flour, it usually means that the recipe requires fluffier, aerated flour, or flour without any lumps. As it is packaged, shipped, and stored, unsifted flour settles in the bag. Sifting lightens it up again. It also creates space for the other components in the recipe to get in between the flour particles and do their work. However, there is no need to sift flour for recipes that donโ€™t request it. Commercial flour has already been sifted several times, so unless the recipe you are reading specifically requires it, you shouldnโ€™t have to take the extra step.

Can I sift flour without a sifter?

If you donโ€™t have a flour sifter, try a fine-mesh sieve (my personal preference no matter what) or even a balloon whisk or fork. The tines of the balloon whisk will break up any clumps.

Should flour be sifted before or after measuring?

If the recipe calls forย 3 cups sifted flour,ย then you need toย pre-sift the flour into a bowl and then measure the flour.
If the recipe calls forย 3 cups flour, sifted,ย thenย measure the flour first, and then sift it.

What is the shelf life of flour?

Store all-purpose flour or self-rising flour at room temperature for up to 3 months (6 months in a cooler location). Or, store in the refrigerator for 1 year or in the freezer for 2 years.

What is the best gluten-free flour?

My favorite gluten-free flour isย King Arthurโ€™s 1:1 GF flour blend.

What are the different types of flour?

There are many different varieties of flour including all-purpose flour, self-rising flour, cake flour, bread flour, pastry flour, whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, semolina flour, corn flour, rye flour, barley flour, coconut flour, gluten-free flour, rice flour, high-protein flour, oat flour, buckwheat flour, and 00 flour (a finely ground Italian flour perfect for pizza and pasta).

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Flour being sifted onto parchment paper.

How to Sift Flour

Learn How to Sift Flour like a professional, even if you donโ€™t own a handheld sifter. Sifting is the key to light-as-air cookies, lump-free cake batters, and all your best pastries.
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 1 minute
Servings 4 servings (ยผ cup each)
Course Pantry
Cuisine American
Calories 114
5 from 6 votes

Ingredientsย 

Instructionsย 

Fine-mesh strainer:

  • Over a sheet of parchment paper, foil, or a bowl, add flour (or any dry ingredients) to a fine-mesh strainer and tap the side with one hand. Anything left in the bottom can be pushed through with a spoon.

Flour sifter:

  • Over a sheet of parchment paper, foil, or a bowl, add flour (or any dry ingredients) to sifter cup. Squeeze handle to activate the blades repeatedly until sifted flour falls out the bottom of the cup.

Whisk or fork:

  • In a dry bowl, whisk flour or other dry ingredients vigorously until aerated and no visibly clumps remain.

Notes

  1. Storage: Store flour in an airtight storage container in a dark, cool place (such as the back of a pantry shelf). Add oxygen absorbers to the sealed container to prevent oxidation and extend the shelf life of the flour. Adding a bay leaf in the flour container will help keep bugs at bay.
  2. Freezer: Transfer flour to a freezer-safe container. Label, date, and freeze up to 2 years for white flour, 1 year for whole grain flour.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25 cupsCalories: 114kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 3gFat: 0.3gSaturated Fat: 0.05gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.03gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 33mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gCalcium: 5mgIron: 1mg
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5 from 6 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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Comments

    1. Hi Gemlyn, it helps add air and lighten the flour, remove lumps, and if combining flour with leavening ingredients (like baking powder, baking soda, or salt), it helps make sure they are incorporated well. The parchment paper acts as a funnel for easy cleanup. I hope this helps! โ€“ Meggan

  1. Thank you! Iโ€™m new to baking and your clear descriptions were incredibly helpful! ๐Ÿ™‚5 stars

  2. Thanks! Novice with a bread machine. Getting inconsistent results with white bread recipe I have been using. Read a different recipe that explained the need to sift to get accurate flour measurements, and less dense bread. So I found this. Have whisks and fine strainer already, so now Iโ€™m ready to go.5 stars