Kosher vs Table Salt in Baking

Salt is a small ingredient with an outsized effect. In bread, it tightens gluten and slows yeast; in cookies, cakes and caramel, it sharpens sweetness and rounds out chocolate, butter and vanilla. Yet the most common salt mistake has nothing to do with the recipe. Different salts have different crystal sizes, so a teaspoon of one can contain twice the salt of a teaspoon of another.

This guide sorts out table salt, the two big kosher brands, fine and flaky sea salt, and salted butter. It gives conversions by weight and volume, explains how salt works in yeast dough and sweet bakes, and offers a few habits that keep salt consistent no matter which box you have.

Why a teaspoon of salt is not a fixed amount

Table salt has small, dense cubic grains that pack tightly into a spoon. Kosher salt is made into larger flakes or hollow pyramids, which leave more air in the spoon. Diamond Crystal kosher salt has especially light, hollow crystals, so a teaspoon of it weighs about half as much as a teaspoon of table salt.

That difference is why the same recipe can taste perfectly seasoned in one kitchen and too salty in another. If a recipe gives salt by weight, use any salt you like. If it gives a volume, look for a note on which salt the author used.

Conversion chart

These are typical weights for one level teaspoon. Brands and batches vary slightly, so weigh your own salt once and note it inside the cupboard door. A scale that reads to 0.1 g is useful for small amounts of salt and yeast.

When converting a recipe written for table salt to Diamond Crystal, double the volume. For Morton kosher, use about a quarter more. Going the other way, halve Diamond Crystal amounts or reduce Morton amounts by about a fifth to get the table salt equivalent.

• Table salt (iodized or plain): about 6 g per teaspoon
• Fine sea salt: about 5 to 6 g per teaspoon
• Morton kosher salt: about 4.8 g per teaspoon
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt: about 2.8 to 3 g per teaspoon
• Flaky sea salt: about 2 to 3 g per teaspoon, varies widely

What salt does in yeast dough

Salt strengthens the gluten network, making dough less sticky and better able to hold gas. It also slows yeast activity and enzyme action, which gives a more even rise and lets flavor develop. Bread without salt rises fast, spreads, tastes flat and browns poorly.

Most bread recipes use 1.8 to 2.2 percent salt relative to flour weight. Too much slows fermentation sharply and tastes harsh. Add salt with the flour or after a short rest called an autolyse; brief contact with yeast in the bowl does no harm, but do not leave salt and yeast mixed in a small amount of water for long.

• 500 g flour: 9 to 11 g salt
• 1 kg flour: 18 to 22 g salt
• Bagels, pretzels and pizza often sit at the upper end of the range

Salt in cookies, cakes and pastry

In sweet baking, salt makes flavors taste brighter and keeps sweetness from feeling flat. A typical cookie or cake recipe uses ½ to 1 teaspoon table salt per 250 to 300 g flour, or roughly 0.5 to 1 percent of the total batter. Chocolate, caramel, peanut butter and brown butter bakes often take more.

Pie and biscuit doughs use salt for flavor as well. Because there is little sugar, they can taste bland without enough. In caramel sauce, salt balances the bitterness of the darker sugar; add it at the end, taste, and adjust.

Fine, coarse and flaky salts

Fine salts dissolve quickly and spread evenly through doughs and batters, which is why most baking recipes assume them. Coarse kosher salt dissolves well in wet doughs but can leave pockets in stiff cookie dough or pastry; crush it first or switch to fine salt.

Flaky salt, such as Maldon, is meant to stay crunchy on top of a cookie, brownie or focaccia. Sprinkle it on just before baking or right after, and do not count it as the main salt in the recipe. Iodized salt is fine for baking; any metallic taste is too faint to notice in most bakes.

Salted butter and other hidden salt

Salted butter usually contains about 1.5 to 2 percent salt, but it varies by brand. One 113 g stick of salted butter carries roughly ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon table salt. If a recipe calls for unsalted butter and you use salted, reduce the added salt by that amount.

Cheese, salted nuts, cured meats, olives and some baking powders add salt too. In savory breads and scones with cheese or olives, start with a little less salt than the recipe says and taste the baked result. Note what you changed for next time.

Common questions

Which salt should I keep for baking?

A fine sea salt or table salt is the easiest choice for baking, because it measures consistently and dissolves fully. Many cooks keep Diamond Crystal kosher salt for cooking and a fine salt for baking. Either works if you convert by weight.

My bread tastes flat even with salt. Why?

You may have used a light kosher salt at a table salt volume, which gives about half the salt. Weigh the salt to 2 percent of the flour. Also check the fermentation, because short rises give less flavor.

Can I skip salt in a cookie recipe?

You can, and the cookies will still bake. They will taste noticeably flatter and sweeter, with less chocolate or butter flavor. For a low-salt cookie, halve the amount and add a few flakes on top for taste.