The Genius Hack For Measuring Honey That'll Change Baking Forever
Chef Ethan Stowell, who "weigh[s] almost everything," suggests using a scale when baking because "It's a much more accurate and error-free way of doing recipes," he shared with The Seattle Times. However, it's not so easy with sticky or viscous ingredients like honey or maple syrup, mainly because they tend to cling to utensils and surfaces (even when using a scale), which could potentially throw off the precision. Still, a trick went viral on TikTok and other social media outlets, making the process much smoother. It revolves around creating an imprint in the dry ingredients.
By forming a well within your flour or other powder-based ingredients with an indentation from the back of a measuring spoon or cup, you can produce a recess roughly the same shape and size as the measuring tool. This is handy, particularly with treacly foods like honey (or any other similar component you want to add). Additionally, this method will make less of a mess because the honey, which would be incorporated anyways, can now go directly from its container into the dry elements.
How the honey hack took over social media
Much like there are several different types of honey, various social media users have been attributed as the inventor of this time and mess-saving honey hack, nonetheless, the trick has gained some traction among their followers. For instance, one comment from Instagram user @kalejunkie's take on the subject – whose video has received over 6 million views – expressed, "This is a life hack." Another commenter felt it was "a legitimate hack...[and] Super smart idea." However, the same post also had its detractors, with some arguing that it shouldn't be considered a great trick mainly because, as one user put it, "The outside of the spoon is not the same measurement as the inside."
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There's truth to this, especially since, as flour producer King Arthur states, "Surprisingly, there are no enforced accuracy standards for either measuring cups or spoons." Yet, that doesn't mean the hack should go unappreciated or unutilized, either. After all, the main goal of this hack is to minimize the mess often associated with sticky ingredients commonly used during baking, and it can still be helpful and, more importantly, accurate if employed in conjunction with a scale.
Accurate measurements are important and can enhance the honey hack
The rhyme and reason of baking being more closely related to science is because the slightest miscalculation can alter a recipe. Adding too much flour to a cake batter will increase stiffness and aridness. However, too little will leave a poorly constructed cake. This is because flour's purpose as a dry ingredient is structure — with enough heat and liquid, the component will form a grid of proteins that'll eventually take shape. Leavening agents, like baking soda or powder, are similar. Since these ingredients help baked goods rise, too much or too little can change the outcome, yielding an unrisen or falling (sunken in the center) product. The same is true with sticky liquid sweeteners.
Excess sugar causees a similar falling situation, while an inadequate amount leads to parchedness, so many people propose weighted measurements. Still, suppose you would rather use volume measurements for honey. In that case, the measuring spoon trick will secure a better conclusion because it'll circumvent some cleaning time due to its streamlined directly-into-the-bowl procedure. However, as a perfectionist, the process can also be utilized with a scale. Since the weight of an object doesn't typically fluctuate, you can weigh your mixing bowl (with all of the dry ingredients added) after making the dent and still measure the viscous component without having to scrape it off of anything — it's the best of both worlds.