- First, to remove lumps. Flour, baking powder,baking soda, sugar and other dry ingredients are normally prone to lumping. If not properly sifted, we'll end up having tiny lumps in our cake. Worst, if chemical leavener (e.g. baking powder)was not sifted, your cake might rise uneven due to its uneven distribution in the batter or when eaten, you'll have that funny soapy taste.
- Second, to blend dry ingredients into a homogeneous mixture. There are recipes which are so delicate that we can't overmix the batter. Hence, sifting ingredients together beforehand is the only way to go.
- Lastly, we sift to remove foreign objects. In my baking experience in the Philippines, flour can easily have weevils. The flour is either old or an infestation might have taken place, perhaps from the milling plant, supermarket or even from our cupboards. We can also blame the warm and humid weather for weevils for they thrive on those conditions.
Technically speaking, we should sift. In the years that I've spent in the professional kitchen, where time is always of essence and the amount of baked products being produced are huge, sifting is rarely done. But with the quick turn over of ingredients, supply is always fresh, lumping or weevils is never an issue. Again, if the recipe procedure calls for it, then we should follow.
At home, generally, I don't, as the flour here in Australia isn't lumpy or some are presifted. The trick is (lazy way? ha.ha.), I mix my dry ingredients in a bowl & use my wire whisk to blend them together. For fuzzy recipes, I do. With the busy lifestyle here abroad, I can't afford to waste time. I'd rather sift than repeat or pass the batter into a sieve.
Just a reminder, sifted dry ingredient weighs differently from an unsifted one :D.
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