For A Mess-Free Way To Sift Flour, Grab A Glass

When you need to sift flour for a recipe, scattering white powder over your entire work surface seems pretty much inevitable. But actually, this mess is still avoidable using an item that you certainly already have at home. All you need is a drinking glass!

Pick a cup that you can comfortably hold in one hand and measure your flour right into it. Then, place your sieve on top of the opening of the glass, and flip the whole setup upside down over your mixing bowl. Now, rather than the flour spreading out to the edges of the sieve, it is contained to just the area beneath the glass. As you move the cup in a circular pattern, the flour will sift and fall directly into the vessel beneath without puffing out and scattering over your countertop. This tedious step that Duff Goldman never skips when baking just got a whole lot easier.

In addition to sifting flour for baked goods, you can also use this hack in stovetop applications. Apply this tip when making a roux, cream gravy, or bechamel sauce so it comes out ultra-creamy and lump-free.

White flour is not the only ingredient that benefits from sifting, so put this hack to good use in lots of different recipes. Almond flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and ground spices can also benefit from sifting. Use this hack on cocoa powder to make a velvety coating for two-ingredient truffles made with sweetened condensed milk, or sift through finely ground cornmeal to make sweet and tender blueberry corn muffins.

Powdered sugar is another ingredient that is notoriously clumpy and hard to work with. Use this hack when you are making frosting and delicate baked goods, as well as to more easily decorate finished cakes, cookies, and brownies.