Handy-Dandy Conversion Chart

for those of you who don't yet have a scale (get a scale already)

The first non-recipe post I wanted to share is an updated version of my volume-to-weight conversion chart. Except in certain instances, I’m not going to give volume amounts for bread recipes, because they are a pain to sort out and they undermine the fact that bread recipes are essentially ratios of ingredients by weight. (I’ll be doing a post on baker’s math soon, so more on that later.)

So you are going to need gram scales to use my recipes. And yes, I said scales, plural—one for quantities of ingredients smaller than 5 grams, where accuracy is important, and another for larger quantities. For tiny amounts, I currently recommend the one pictured above, which is accurate to about 0.5 grams, has a capacity of 1000 grams (meaning you could use it exclusively if need be; this makes it a good “travel” scale for baking on vacation), and only costs about $15. For larger quantities, I like either of the Oxo 11 lb- or 22 lb-capacity scales.

Until you get these scales in hand, you can use the table below to convert recipes into cups and spoons. These conversions are by necessity somewhat subjective, and you might find other sources give different equivalencies. This is particularly true for flour weight-to-volume conversions, which differ widely and controversially from source to source. But the important thing to remember is that I develop all my recipes by weight, and then only convert them to volume at the end of the process (or would convert them, except as I said I’m not doing that anymore). Meaning that though a scooped cup of all-purpose flour can weigh various amounts depending on how you scoop it or how packed it might be, I expect it to weigh exactly 140g every time. Of course all of this is moot if you just use a scale.

You’ll also find useful trivia like the amount of water in butter, eggs, and liquid sweeteners, how to convert one type of yeast to another, and the formula for how to make milk from milk powder. As I think of new things to add to the chart, I’ll add them here, so feel free to bookmark this page. (And if you have ideas for things that should be on this list but are not, please suggest them below!)

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[N.B.: You might notice that some of the flour weights have changed significantly here from when I first published this chart; that’s because as of 9/1/21, I’ve decided that the “spoon-and-sweep” method of measuring flour is more reproducible than the “dip-and-sweep” method that I used to use, and I have adjusted the amounts to reflect that.]

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Metric-Imperial Weight Conversions

1 ounce = 28.35g

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Volume Conversions

1 teaspoon = 5 milliliters

1 tablespoon= 3 teaspoons / 15ml

2 tablespoons = 1 fluid ounce = 30ml

1/4 cup= 4 tablespoons / 59ml

1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons / 118ml

1 cup = 16 tablespoons / 8 fl. oz. / 237ml 

1 pint = 2 cups / 473ml 

1 quart = 2 pints / 946ml (or almost 1 liter)

1 gallon = 4 quarts / 3,785ml 

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Water

1g = 1ml

1 cup = 240g

1/2 cup = 120g

1/3 cup = 80g

1/4 cup = 60g

1 tablespoon = 15g

1 teaspoon = 5g

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Flours, Grains, & Starches*

1 tablespoon (any) flour = ~9g

1 teaspoon (any) flour = ~3g

1 cup all-purpose or bread flour = 140g

1 cup cake flour = 133g

1 cup whole-wheat flour = 113g

1 cup wheat bran = 130g

1 cup wheat germ = 113g

1 cup wheat berries = 184g

1 cup semolina flour = 163g

1 cup fine durum flour = 124g

1 cup barley flour = 85g

1 cup oat flour = 92g

1 cup rolled & quick oats = 89g

1 cup white rice flour = 142g

1 cup brown rice flour = 128g

1 cup medium rye & pumpernickel flour  = 106g

1 cup spelt flour = 99g

1 cup cornmeal = 148g

1 cup polenta & coarse cornmeal = 163g

1 cup cornstarch = 133g

1 cup potato starch = 150g

1 cup tapioca starch = 113g

1 cup mashed potato flakes = 80g

1 teaspoon diastatic malt powder = 3.25g

1 teaspoon vital wheat gluten = 2.75g

(*Measured using the sift-and-sweep method.)

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Yeast & Sourdough

1 teaspoon dry yeast (active/instant/osmotolerant) = 4.2g

Instant to active yeast conversion: active = 1.25x instant

Osmotolerant to instant yeast conversion (for >10% sugar doughs): instant = 1.5x osmotolerant

Fresh yeast to instant yeast conversion: Instant yeast = 0.3x fresh

1 cup sourdough discard (100% hydration, fully fermented, flat) = ~240g

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Salts

1 teaspoon sea & table salt = 5.6g

1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) = 2.8g

1 teaspoon kosher salt (Morton’s) = 3.6g

1 teaspoon flake salt (Maldon) = 6.1g

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Chemical Leaveners

1 teaspoon baking soda/powder = 4.8g

1 unit of baking powder contains the equivalent of 1/4 unit baking soda

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Sugars

1 cup granulated & (packed) brown sugar  = 207g

1 tablespoon = 13g

1 teaspoon = 4.3g

1 cup confectioner’s sugar = 118g

1 cup maple syrup, malt syrup, honey, & molasses = 340g

1 tablespoon = ~22g

1 cup corn syrup = 328g

1 tablespoon = ~21g

Corn syrup = 24% water

Honey & malt syrup = ~17% water

Maple syrup = 32% water

Dry malt powder to malt syrup conversion, by weight: 0.85:1

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Dairy

1 cup milk & buttermilk = 242g

1 cup yogurt & sour cream = 245g

1 cup Greek yogurt = 280g

Whole milk = 88% water

1 tablespoon nonfat milk powder = 7.5g

1 teaspoon = 2.5g

1 liter whole milk = 84g nonfat milk powder + 34g butter + 882g water

1 liter nonfat milk = 84g nonfat milk powder + 916g water

Or: 9% of water weight (e.g., 100g milk = 91g water + 9g milk powder)

1 cup sour cream or yogurt = 185g Greek yogurt + 60g water

1 cup buttermilk = 113g yogurt + 129g water

= 94g Greek yogurt + 148g water

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Eggs

1 large egg = 50g

1 large white = 33g

1 large yolk = 17g

Whole egg = 74% water

Egg white = 90% water

Egg yolk = 50% water

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Butter

8 tablespoons butter (1 US stick) = 113g

1 tablespoon = 14.125g

American-style (unsalted) butter = 16-18% water

European-style butter = 12-14% water

Salt percentage in most salted butter = 1.25-1.75%

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Oil

1 cup oil = 225g

1 tablespoon = ~14g

1 teaspoon = ~5g

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Chocolate & Cocoa

1 cup cocoa powder = 89g

1 cup chocolate chips & chunks = 170g

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Nuts, Seeds, & Dried Fruits

1 cup almonds = 142g

1 cup almonds, sliced = 86g

1 cup almonds, slivered = 114g

1 cup sesame seeds, hulled = 160g

1 cup pecans or walnuts = 128g

1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped = 114g

1 cup peanuts, shelled = 151g

1 cup peanut butter = 256g

1 cup poppy seeds = 153g

1 cup raisins, packed = 170g

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Spices & Flavorings

1 teaspoon vanilla & other extracts = 4.6g

1 teaspoon ground spices & dried herbs = ~2g

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Protein Content of Common Flours

Gold Medal all-purpose = 10.5% protein

Pillsbury Best all-purpose = 10 to 11.5%

Heckers & Ceresota all-purpose = 11.5 to 11.9 %

King Arthur all-purpose (Sir Galahad) = 11.7%

Gold Medal “Better For Bread” = 12%

King Arthur bread (Special Patent) = 12.7%

Pillsbury Best bread = 12.9%

King Arthur high gluten (Sir Lancelot) = 14.2 %

Pillsbury Best whole-wheat = 12.9%

Gold Medal whole-wheat = 13.3%

King Arthur 100% whole-wheat/white whole-wheat = 14%

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Vital Wheat Gluten Flour Conversion Formula

([Target Flour protein %] - [Starting flour protein %]) x [Total Flour Weight] = grams VWG to add

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