Bread Flour:
Grams to Cups
By Stefan Ulrich · Last updated
Bread flour and all-purpose flour share the same cup-to-gram conversion: 1 cup = 120 grams. The difference isn't in density — it's in protein content. Bread flour runs at 12–14% protein versus 10–12% for all-purpose, and that extra gluten is what gives artisan loaves their chewy crumb and sourdough its open structure.
How much Bread Flour weighs at each cup measure.
Convert Bread Flour
1 cup = 120 grams
= — grams
= — cups
Quick reference
Measurement Table
| Cups | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tsp | 3 g | 0.11 oz |
| 1 tbsp | 8 g | 0.28 oz |
| ⅛ cup | 15 g | 0.53 oz |
| ¼ cup | 30 g | 1.06 oz |
| ⅓ cup | 40 g | 1.41 oz |
| ½ cup | 60 g | 2.12 oz |
| ⅔ cup | 80 g | 2.82 oz |
| ¾ cup | 90 g | 3.17 oz |
| 1 cup | 120 g | 4.23 oz |
| 1¼ cups | 150 g | 5.29 oz |
| 1½ cups | 180 g | 6.35 oz |
| 2 cups | 240 g | 8.47 oz |
| 3 cups | 360 g | 12.70 oz |
About Bread Flour
Because bread flour and all-purpose flour weigh the same per cup, you can substitute them 1:1 by weight with perfect accuracy. The texture of your finished bread, however, will differ — bread flour develops a stronger gluten network, making it ideal for yeasted breads, bagels, and pizza dough, but too tough for delicate cakes or muffins.
For bread baking specifically, weighing flour is even more critical than in other baking. A 10% error in flour measurement can throw off the hydration ratio of your dough, resulting in a loaf that won't develop properly or, at the other extreme, a shaggy, unworkable mass.
If a recipe calls for 500 g of bread flour, that's approximately 4 cups + 1 tablespoon. Most serious home bakers who work with bread flour make the switch to a scale permanently — it's simply more reliable for dough development.
Tips for measuring Bread Flour
- Same weight per cup as all-purpose flour (120 g), so scale conversions are identical.
- Higher protein = more water absorption: adjust hydration by 2–3% if substituting.
- Sift if your recipe requires it — bread flour can clump in humid climates.
- King Arthur Bread Flour is slightly denser at ~125 g/cup due to finer milling.
Common mistakes
- Substituting in cakes without adjusting liquid — results in tough, dry texture
- Not accounting for brand differences (±5 g per cup between brands)
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many grams in a cup of Bread Flour?
- 1 cup of Bread Flour weighs 120 grams — the standard used in most American recipes. Use the converter above for any other amount.
- How many grams is 1 tablespoon of Bread Flour?
- 1 tablespoon of Bread Flour weighs about 8 grams. The full table above lists every common cup fraction.
- What's the most common mistake when measuring Bread Flour?
- Substituting in cakes without adjusting liquid — results in tough, dry texture. Weighing on a kitchen scale avoids it entirely.
- Should I sift Bread Flour before or after measuring?
- Measure Bread Flour first, then sift — unless the recipe says "sifted flour, then measured." Sifting after measuring keeps the gram weight predictable.