Instructions: Bernard Clayton, in an Appendix to his "New Complete Book of Breads" gives the equivalence for flour (unsifted),

3 1/2 cups = 1 pound

However, he also, in the same appendix, gives

1 cup = 4 3/4 ounces,

which would yield 3 1/2 cups = 1 pound + a bit more than half an ounce.

For fun, I weighed the flours in my cupboard without sifting using a good metric balance scale. One cup varied from 144 to 156 grams depending on the flour. This is about half an ounce higher than Claytons equivalence (1 ounce = 28.5 grams). When I sifted, the weights dropped by about 7% on average.

I conclude that these equivalences are not exact, and bread bakers seem to go largely by feel of the dough anyway. You probably should use them as a first try. Maybe a precise standard is not possible given the differences that exist among flours. On the other hand, weighing probably does give more consistent results.

By the way, if I am giving more detail than you like, blame breadmaker/author Peter Reinhart. His classes and books stress both precision and feel. For example, he tests bread for doneness by measuring internal temperature with a probe thermometer. What a simple idea, yet how well it works! I for one have never been able to rap on a loaf with my knuckles and decide whether a hollow sound is produced, the usual test for doneness.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.