The Mess-Free Hack That Makes Sifting Flour So Much Easier

Sifting flour in recipes isn't as common as it once was, but if you want to make chewy chocolate chip cookies or airy angel food cake, it's still a good idea. Sifting dry ingredients before baking can make for more accurate measurements and will add some air to the mixture to create a fluffier final product. The only problem with sifting is that it can be a real mess, especially when you're baking with kids. Luckily, according to a popular post from baker and former Great British Baking Show contestant Lizzie Acker on Instagram, there is an easy hack to fix the situation. All you need are your dry ingredients, a sieve, and a glass jar.

Using a glass jar to hold the flour while you sift it is the perfect way to keep it where you want it to be instead of allowing it to get all over the place. This method is great for adults who bake with messy children, or just for people who are tired of sweeping up flour all the time. Ultimately, all of us could use fewer steps and less cleanup at the end of the day!

To do this hack, start by pouring the flour and other dry ingredients into a glass jar. Measure the ingredients beforehand if you are measuring by weight. If you are using measuring cups, you will likely get a more accurate reading if you sift before measuring.

Once all your dry ingredients are in the glass jar, take out your mixing bowl and trusty sieve. Hold the glass jar right-side-up over the bowl and then place the sieve over the top of the jar. Press the jar into the sieve and flip the sieve and jar over. Now you should have the jar with the flour resting upside down on the sieve. To sift, simply twist the jar opening against the sieve. This will allow the flour to pass through the sieve and fall directly into the bowl without creating a mess.

The glass jar method is perfect for protecting your kitchen while sifting, but what about all the other times when flour gets everywhere? There's always that puff of flour that happens when you start the stand mixer or the mess that comes with rolling out dough on the counter. As it turns out, there are simple solutions to those problems, too.

To help stop a big cloud of flour in the stand mixer, start with the wet ingredients and then slowly add the dry ingredients. You can also line the counter space under your mixer with parchment paper to easily clean up any accidental spills. Parchment paper can also protect your countertop while making pasta from scratch, which often requires you to start with a mound of flour. However, parchment paper does move around, so try taping it down or putting heavy objects on the corners to hold it in place.