The best way to measure flour is by weight. A small pastry scale is inexpensive and will guarantee that the amount of flour you use will be constant. The only ingredient that is tricky—in other words, it doesn’t always weigh the same for a given volume—is flour. If you just measure flour by weight, you will standardize your recipes and be able to tweak them. The recipes given here use volume measurements that are based on the scoop-and-sweep method: you reach into a bag of flour with a measuring cup, scoop up the flour, and sweep the top level with a knife. If you sift the flour before measuring, the flour will take on more volume, so that you will end up using less than the recipe calls for. But unlike cakes, which often call for sifted flour, most pie and tart doughs don’t require sifting. If you want to weigh your flour, keep in mind that the recipes in this chapter are based on 1 cup of flour weighing 5½ ounces.