What’s in your ounce?

All good catering menus start with some sort of recipe. In those recipes are many ingredients measured in or by ounces. So, what’s in an ounce? It really depends on what is being measured. Most people do not realize that ounces can be used to measure dry ingredients like flour, sugar, pastas and rice but also wet or liquid ounces like milk, oils and sauces. Should the same measuring utensil be used for both dry and liquid ounces? The simple answer is NO! An ounce of flour is not necessarily an ounce in weight and the difference can impact any recipe being made.

Dry ounces are based on weight. One pound of anything weighs 16 ounces. So, if a recipe calls for one pound of flour, for example, use a scale to weigh the flour. And if you are weighing flour, what kind of flour is it? Each kind will yield a different amount based the type of flour, the humidity and how “packed” the measuring utensil is. Typical measuring utensils for dry ingredients are called measuring Cups.  King Arthur has a wonderful video on the proper way to measure flour in a measuring Cup.

And, just with flour, there are different types of flour (cake, rye, wheat, bread and all-purpose just to name a few) and each will weigh differently. Flour will also weigh differently in the summer and winter, and in dry versus damp climates. On average, flour should weigh about 4.5 ounces per cup.

Liquid ounces are based on volume like pints, quarts or gallons.  Measuring a liquid in a measuring cup used for dry ingredients will more than likely not measure an accurate amount of ingredient for your recipe.

To take out all the confusion, here is a chart that can guide you to what your ounce should be:

Dry Measure Chart