The Fresh Loaf

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Can anyone help me with some gram to US weight and volume conversions?

Lisalovestobake's picture
Lisalovestobake

Can anyone help me with some gram to US weight and volume conversions?

Hi everyone, I have been dying to try the Rustic Flax Seed-Currant Bread recipe from the Wild Yeast Blog, but even though I've tried every online metric, weight to volume and grams to ounces ad nauseum, conversion calculators, I'm getting crazy ounce and pound numbers that won't make it easy, like 0.2 grams of salt equaling 0.741 ounces.  I mean, to have to try and weigh those small amounts would be extremely time consuming, and probably off.  Here's the ingredient list.

Poolish Ingredients:

215 g white flour (I used Giusto’s Golden Haven organic)

215 g water at about 70F

0.2 g instant yeast (1/16 t.)

Soaker Ingredients:

  • 103 g dark flax seeds (can be toasted for better flavor)
  • 154 g water

Final Dough Ingredients:

  • 729 g white flour
  • 86 g fine whole wheat flour
  • 43 g fine whole rye flour
  • 601 g cool water (about 50F)
  • All of the poolish
  • 21 g salt
  • 4 g instant yeast (1 1/3 t.)
  • 129 g dried currants
  • All of the soaker

Is there anyone out there who's good at this, and can not only convert the larger amounts into US volumes or weights, but the tiny amounts into tsps and Tbls that aren't 1/16th etc?

I'd so appreciate any help!

RFMonaco's picture
RFMonaco

You need a sensitive Gram/Oz/Lb scale.  All of these weights are easily measured with one and is the easiest way to this recipe. 

 

 

 

Lisalovestobake's picture
Lisalovestobake

I have a Sohnle (sp?) digital scale, but I would have to turn it over and change the ounces and lbs to metrics, which I cannot remember how to do, not to mention, I can't find the instructions. *sigh*

RFMonaco's picture
RFMonaco

What is the model number?

cnlindon's picture
cnlindon

You will have to round your numbers to make it easier. For instance you said you had 20g=.741ounces. In other words you could say 20g=.75oz.=3/4 oz. which is a very close approximation. There is no perfect way to go from weight to volume, because there are too many variables. Hope this helps.

 

-Chad

 

 

Lisalovestobake's picture
Lisalovestobake

Thanks for all of your suggestions and advice.  I remembered how to change it from US to metric weights, but the itty bitty 1/8 tsp to 1 tsp (0.2 grams, 4 grams, 21 grams) small amounts just aren't registering, and I'm not going to purchase a new scale, when the one I have works fine, just for one recipe.  I used one of the conversion charts and came up with this, converting all grams to ounces and lbs.  However, other converters gave me slightly different readings. :(

Poolish Ingredients
7.58 ounces white flour
7.58 ounces water
0.01 ounces instant yeast

Soaker ingredients
3.31 ounces flax seeds
4.95 ounces water

Final Dough Ingredients
1.61 pounds white flour
2.76 ounces fine whole wheat flour
1.38 ounces fine whole rye flour
1.32 pounds water
All of the poolish
0.68 ounces salt

~Lisa~

 

latida's picture
latida

There is a very nice chart on this website ...

http://www.culinarycafe.com/UK_US.html

My scale does pounds/ounces/grams with the push of a button. I use grams because the numbers are easier to work with, especially if you are going to scale the recipe up or  down. Because of the great variations in measuring cups of dry ingredients, I convert all my recipes to weights, using the charts on the website above as a starting point. I think it makes my results a bit more reproduceable.

Greg

mcs's picture
mcs

Grams / 454 x 16= ounces, so for your white flour,

215 / 454 x 16=7.58 ounces (which is what you have above)

For small amounts (yeast, salt) just remember that:

1 tsp salt= 6g (your recipe has 21g; so 21/6=3.5tsp or just over a tablespoon)

1 tsp yeast= 3g 

For small ingredients, I measure volume (teaspoon, tablespoon) since my scale measures in 5g increments.  Some volume measurements won't change too much from person to person (flax seeds, salt, yeast) but ingredients that settle (flour) is generally measured in weight because of the huge variables in scooping/sifting, or whatever.

-Mark 

http://thebackhomebakery.com

dolfs's picture
dolfs

In my Dough Calculator spreadsheet I have taken the approach that for very small weights I present a volume measurement alternative. The reason is that most of us that do weigh ingredients, have scales accurate to either 1g or 5g. That's fine when you are measuring 152g of something, but doesn't work for 0.2g of something, and arguably does not even work for 1g of something (as anything from 0.5-1.5 will register as 1g, allowing for 50% error).

The only way around that is to get a scale dedicated to weighing small quantities like that. They exist in various brands. Having said that, I used the USDA nutrition database to find out the conversion factor (specific gravity) for many ingredients so that I can accurately convert to volumes. This database can also be consulted online at http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/. For some other ingredients, I figured out the conversion factor myself by taking a large(r) volume, and weighing it. For example, take a cup of yeast, and weight it accurately (with 1 gram precision). Now simple division will tell you that 0.2g of instant yeast is equivalent to 0.00044 lb, or 0.00704 oz. Part of the problem is that in the US we are not taught to deal with decimal weights very well, so we'll need to convert these to fractions. Even so, for the oz measurement that is nearly impossible as it is so small. The closest reasonable fraction is 1/100 oz. My spreadsheet also expresses this as 1 pinch (in volume that is 1/16 of a teaspoon), and smidgen and pinch size measuring scoops are available.

Using my own spreadsheet I'd say:

  • 0.2g yeast = 0.01 oz = 1/100 oz = 1 pinch
  • 4g yeast = 0.14 oz = 14/100 oz = 1 1/4 teaspoon
  • 21g salt = 0.74 oz = 3/4 oz = 1 tablespoon 
As you can see that is almost the same as what you had. For these small amounts, volume (assuming accurate conversion), is often the handier way to go for the home baker.


--dolf


See my My Bread Adventures in pictures
Lisalovestobake's picture
Lisalovestobake

dolfs,

I just perused through your bread adventures gallery, and all of your breads look wonderful.  Any shot at getting the recipe for the cinnamon raisin swirl loaves?  I've been looking for a decent one for quite some time now.

 

~Lisa~

susanfnp's picture
susanfnp

To convert grams to ounces, divide by 28.4.

Unless you have a scale that measure in fractions of a gram, it's not practical to weigh your small ingredients like yeast and salt. This is why I give those in volume measurements also. I do have such a scale (a separate one for small fine measurements), but I also have a measuring spoon set that includes 1/8 and 1/16 tsp. ("pinch") measures. Or if you have a just a 1/8 tsp. it's pretty easy to eyeball half.

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisipro-5-Piece-Size-Measuring-Spoon/dp/B000HS7QJS/ref=pd_sbs_hg?ie=UTF8&qid=1204040458&sr=8-1

Susanfnp

http://www.wildyeastblog.com

Lisalovestobake's picture
Lisalovestobake

First off, I want to thank you all, as you've helped me so much, and now I can soon get started on this bread.  It was the small amounts of ingredients that was really getting to me (like the 0.2 gram of yeast, which is 1/16th of a tsp, equaling 1/2 of my 1/8 tsp).  Thank god some of you are mathematical whizzes..LOL  I've also bookmarked all the conversion charts listed, so thank you all again!

 That said, Susan, I knew I recognized 'Wild Yeast', but couldn't put my finger it.  Wonderful blog you have there, and your breads and crumbs gorgeous.  I cannot wait to try this formula/recipe for the rustic flax currant bread.   BTW, The flour you call for in the recipe..is that AP white (organic) flour, or bread flour? 

Having said all that.that scale is definitely going onto my wish list or 'save for later' at Amazon.  Obviously it's something I will need at times.

~Lisa~

ejm's picture
ejm

Thanks for reminding me that I too wanted to try this bread. (The only thing I could find about Giusto's Golden Haven organic flour on Susan's site is that it is malted.)

-Elizabeth

P.S. The conversion charts I use are


Lisalovestobake's picture
Lisalovestobake

Malted?  I have Diastatic malt powder, but I wouldn't know how much to add to it.  Then again, I'm assuming any orgabic AP white flour is fine...hopefully? 

Also..thank you for the links.  Bookmarked :) 

~Lisa~

 

ejm's picture
ejm

In her post about Raising a Starter from Scratch, Susan wrote:

Most white flours [contain malted barley flour], but some do not, especially if they are organic. Check the label.

My guess is that as long as it's unbleached all-purpose, you're okay.

-Elizabeth 

Lisalovestobake's picture
Lisalovestobake

Well..all I had on hand as far as AP white goes.. was Gold Medal unbleached. (there was a sale on it), so I used that.  All of my others flours are organic.  I already used it in the poolish, so I'm hoping I get a decent, bubbly ferment.

 

~Lisa~

ryaninoz's picture
ryaninoz

Hi,

 I'd suggest purchasing a jeweler's scale from E-bay for around $10 when I lived in the states back several years ago. The usually go up to 1 gram or 5 grams and measure from like 0.1 or 0.01 to 1 gram/ounce conversion. I purchased one off Ebay for $10 that even came with tiny weights to calibrate it. I purchased it as I also cure my own meats and use it to weigh out Nitrates that have to be accurate but have found it invaluabe for baking with small measurements as well. Have a go and I think you will find it becomes as useful as your normal weight scale that you use for the large scaling of items. 

Ryan Propst

Sydney, Australia

Lisalovestobake's picture
Lisalovestobake

 Well, I made the Raisin (didn't have currants on hand)- Flax seed bread, and naturally, they didn't come out anywhere as lovely as Susan's (she's a bread demigoddess!), but I definitely screwed up a little.  I ended up estimating a lot of amounts because my scale doesn't give me readings like 7.58 oz, so I would go to 7.6 etc.  I even ended up with almost one cup of flax seeds, because of the weight, and I think that was probably too much.  Most of all, my crumb came out very large and uneven.  Could that be because of too much water?  I kept the dough very wet, more so than any other ciabatta or ciabatta like bread, as I was hoping to get Susan's lovely crumb.  I should have switchd the scale to grams.  Regardless, they tasted wonderful and are already almost gone..LOL

Here's some photos.  If anyone could pinpoint the reason for the giant, uneven holes, or offer advice, I'd greatly appreciate it. :)

One of 4 loaves

 Photo of one of 4 loaves.

Crumb

Crumb.

~Lisa~

nbicomputers's picture
nbicomputers

this looks loke a bread that was not degased before it was shaped.

try dockiing the bread before it goes into the oven. 

docking  take a small stick about 1/4 inch diamater and sharpen the end to a point like a pencl and poke a few holes in the loaf from one end to the other--about 3 or 4 should do nicely

Pro Baker for over 25 years-----Ret

Lisalovestobake's picture
Lisalovestobake

Ret, in most ciabatta or ciabatta like recipes, I do dimple or dock the loaves (using a wooden skewer) before they go in the oven, but as you can see, that's not part of Susan's recipe, as she made sure not to degas the dough too much, and her crumb is some of the best I've ever seen.  However, I will try that on two of my loaves next time, to see if I can get a better crumb. :)

Also, thank you for your compliment, Susan.  I think I will switch my scale to grams the next time I make these, and knead it for a little longer.  The dough was too wet for me to get a decent windowpane test, so your recommendation to make sure the gluten is developed more, is probably a huge part of why the crumb turned out like that. 

In any event...I've already got several requests for more, as the flavor is amazing.  I spread cream cheese on it, and topped it with a couple slices of serrano ham, as a sandwich to bring to work for lunch.  Sweet, salty, airy, crispy and decadent..not to mention healthy, with all those flax seeds :)

~Lisa~

Lisalovestobake's picture
Lisalovestobake

Ryan, I'm definitely looking into the jeweler's scales.  Great idea! Thank you :)

~Lisa~

susanfnp's picture
susanfnp

Lisa, I think you're being too hard on yourself, this looks wonderful. The crust has that nice striped appearance characteristic of rustic breads.

I doubt the dough was too wet; this is meant to be a very wet dough. Make sure the gluten is very well-developed so it can support a network of large-ish cells throughout.

I neither intentionally degas nor dock this dough.

Susanfnp

http://www.wildyeastblog.com