What does a "scant" cup mean??

[suziquzie]

I bought a new bread book. :whistling:

100 Great Breads by Paul Hollywood....

it was on sale.... cheap... could not be helped.

Anyway, most of the measurements for flour is "scant 4 cups......"

My guess is this means "around 4 cups give or take"? :confused:

[joec]

My understanding of the term is just a bit under a level cup or the opposite of a heaping cup. To me it not enough to make a major difference in a given recipe but I don't bake so don't know for sure how it apply for baking. I know baking is more like a formula instead of a recipe. By that a formula one follows to the exact measure while a recipe is a guide that can be changed to your own style.

[Fisher's Mom]

I think in baking it means to make absolutely certain it is no more than the amount listed. You know how some people don't level off the flour when measuring? (LOL - I'm so guilty of this.)

[suziquzie]

lol.... some of the water measurements says it too now that i look thru a little more.... hmmm.... crazy europeans and their big words.....

[phreak]

a quick google search revealed:

scant (skhttp://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/abreve.gifnt)adj. scant·er, scant·est 1. Barely sufficient: paid scant attention to the lecture.
2. Falling short of a specific measure: a scant cup of sugar.
3. Inadequately supplied; short: We were scant of breath after the lengthy climb.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/scant

[suziquzie]

a quick google search revealed:

scant (skhttp://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/abreve.gifnt)adj. scant·er, scant·est 1. Barely sufficient: paid scant attention to the lecture.
2. Falling short of a specific measure: a scant cup of sugar.
3. Inadequately supplied; short: We were scant of breath after the lengthy climb.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/scant

thanks, I figured as much. :tiphat:

[Fisher's Mom]

It is a silly way to write a baking recipe, since baking is pretty precise. I wonder if that's why so many recipes now say eg: 4 cups less 1 tblspoon - maybe that's the American equivalent of scant 4 cups.

[High Cheese]

Reason #283

Why I don't bake.

[High Cheese]

...which reminds me, I need to change my sig. lol

[Miniman]

I go along with the others - a scant up is one is just barely/slightly under the measure. This is why I prefer weights for my measurements

[chowhound]

I think a scant cup is one cup minus one skosh...

[suziquzie]

LOL chow!!
you ALMOST made me spit beer on my screen!

Coffee I can handle but my beer???

:)

[homecook]

Oh dear Suzi..........not the beer!!! :agree:

:beer:

[chowhound]

Save the beer! :eek:

[buckytom]

now it's a scant beer.

the computer got the extra skosh measure...

[suziquzie]

I said ALMOST.... it was hard to hold all those bubbles in my nose, but, as you know may know, my family has extra special noses.........

[buckytom]

uh oh. do you need to yell "jibe ho" when you change directions or come about? :bounce:

[suziquzie]

uh oh. do you need to yell "jibe ho" when you change directions or come about? :bounce:


LOL... dork...... :mrgreen:

[PieSusan]

Your question was answered correctly Suzie. A scant cup is a bit less than a cup--not to the top--it is a rough measurement.

[Keltin]

So a scant and an RCH are about the same then????? :yum::yum::yum::yum:

[JoeV]

When a baking recipe calls for "scant" of an ingredient, I measure my usual way then take out a smidgen. It always works out. Should you take out too much, you can always put back a tinge to a pinch and it should be fine. Just don't get too anal and concern yourself with every iota, because it should bake out fine with a touch more or less of any ingredient.

Hope this helped.

Keltin, I can't vouch for that. I'm married to a brunette (at least that's what the carton says).:brows: