Weight rules, volume not so much
Luckily enough, in my new American book, “On baking”, all the recipes have their ingredients listed both in Imperial and Metric units of measurement. That is to say: both in pounds, ounces, etc but also in grams and liters, which are the units we commonly use in Europe (all but the Brits).
It was surprising as well to read, in an American book, that for pastry it is advisable focus on weight and leave the typically-American volume-based units (cups, spoons, etc…) behind: pastry is a perfect science and to bake successfully you cannot rely on approximative measurement tools like a cup (e.g. flour weight can depend on many factors such as flour type or humidity in the room and the cup only considers volume)! Europe wins! 😛
So, indispensable tool for a baker: the scale! I’ve just bought one for 25€…
If you don’t have a scale yet, buy one and you will thank me! 🙂
(Photo from cafefernando.com)