My uncle told me to stop using a scale for bread and it was a disaster

My uncle, who ran a bakery in Portland for 30 years, told me last month that real bakers don't weigh ingredients for simple white bread. He said to just use cups and go by feel. I tried it for a whole week, making a loaf every day. The first one was a dense brick, the next was a gummy mess, and the third just didn't rise at all. I finally went back to my scale and weighed out the flour for his exact recipe. Turns out my 'cup' of flour was almost 50 grams heavier than his. The next loaf was perfect. Has anyone else had a family member give them advice that just completely backfired?

2 comments

2 Comments

casey_barnes1d ago

Ever have a relative who's so confidently wrong it's almost impressive? My aunt swore by the 'slam the oven door' method for fixing a fallen cake. I now have a permanent dent in my floor.

iris_mason8821h ago

Feel like my family has a PhD in being wrong with confidence... my uncle once tried to "fix" my laptop screen by whacking it. @casey_barnes, at least your floor dent has a fun story.