This article records the ratio of flour to water (or any liquid) by volume instead of using weight. It is faster and more convenient to cook by using cups and spoons rather than weighing scale. Weight comes in useful when buying the ingredients, but its troublesome to measure every single ingredient by weight during actual cooking.
Another point to note is that cooking involves chemistry, however, it does not require precision in volumetric or weight measurement unless you are dealing with “designer” food. E.g. it does not matter if you use 500ml or 520ml of water, or 490 or 510 grams of flour will ruin the formula.
Assumptions and Guides
- In the ratio below, flour is always taken as “1”. So we may start off using a standard cup, or any cup or container.
- Water, milk and eggs will be considered as “liquid” volume.
- For ease of memorizing, one cup is 4 large eggs, or 2 large eggs is 0.5 cup.
- Note that 1 US cup is 236ml, while 1 imperial cup is 284ml. For ease of memory or calculation, we will take it as 250ml.
- For quick reference when counting the amount of ingredients to order or prepare, 1 US cup of flour is about 120 grams, and water is 240 grams.
- 1 tablespoon, take it as 15ml. 1 teaspoon is 5ml
Converting Ratio of Flour to Water by Weight to by Volume
- 1 : 0.4 by weight (40% hydration by weight) is 1 : 0.2 (20% hydration by volume)
- 1 : 0.5 by weight (50% hydration by weight) is 1 : 0.25 (25% hydration by volume)
- 1 : 1 by weight (100% hydration by weight) is 1 : 0.5 (50% hydration by volume)
- 1 : 1.5 by weight (150% hydration by weight) is 1 : 0.75 (75% hydration by volume)
- 1 : 3 by weight (300% hydration by weight) is 1 : 1.5 (150% hydration by volume)
Typically, hydration by volume is half that by weight.
Flour to Liquid Ratio by Volume
- Western Pancake = 1 : 1.5
- Pancake dough is normally quite fluid and does not require kneading.
- Typical ingredients include pinch of salt, sugar (or honey), and baking powder.
- Chinese Bun (包子或馒头) = 1 : 0.25
- Ramen (拉面) = 1 : 0.2 to 0.25
- Crepe = 1 : 0.5