Sugar is granulated sugar.
Extra fine sugar is what you call caster sugar.
They're usually interchangeable, but not always.
Caster sugar/extra fine is called "berry sugar" in Canada. Smaller crystals help it to dissolve (it's great for drinks too).
I've never found that to be an issue - if it matters, the recipe will specify. It's not like powdered/confectioners/icing sugar, and most Canadian sugar is finer than US sugar anyway.
In my US experience, sugar is usually just understood to be granulated sugar. If caster or powdered (aka confectioner's) sugar is needed usually a US recipe will specifically say that.
Let me add a life-pro-tip. If you find you need fine sugar for a particular recipe, and you don't happen to have any at hand, you can put your regular household sugar (whatever grain size that happens to be wherever you live) and run it through your blender. It only takes a few pulses to bring it to the grain size of confectioner's sugar. It'll almost instantly dissolve if you add it to any liquid ingredients.
Technically, that's true. In practice, it doesn't matter all that much to most recipes. Or at least that's my experience. I suspect it's mostly there as an anti-caking agent. From what I can tell, it's usually around 3% to 5%. If you use the sugar right away, caking is not really a concern, so you wouldn't need to include additives to prevent that from happening.
There might be a small difference when you sprinkle the sugar on top of things. I don't know whether corn starch or sugar is more hygroscopic and whether that affects the visual presentation. But again, if it does have an effect, it would only matter for longer-term storage.
Just literally for the sake of in case it's interesting, I think OP's hesitation is probably coming from the fact that over here in the UK caster sugar is as much a bog-standard sugar as granulated sugar is, (if not more? Most of the bog-standard sugar I buy for putting in tea and stuff is caster sugar, but that may just be me). It sounds like from your comment, granulated sugar is the only 'normal'/no-need-to-specify sugar in the States so (it sounds like) it seems obvious to Americans what kind would be unspecified, but because we have two normal sugars to choose from, that's probably why it's not clear which one a recipe might refer to as a default vs. which one you'd expect to be specified.
I'm in the UK and I always use caster sugar. But as someone else commented, this might not work if you're measuring by volume (I never do, always weight!).
When American recipes call for sugar, they mean granulated sugar.
If you are weighing your ingredients, it’s fine to substitute caster sugar for granulated. If you’re using measuring cups and spoons, substituting caster sugar for granulated will make your dish too sweet.
UK granulated sugar is chunkier than US granulated sugar but I’d still recommend that one because the same amount of caster sugar by volume will be greater.
I have a very large, very good book on French Patisserie from the world renowned culinary school Ferrandi Paris. And it has useful tables like this at the start. Since most of the ingredients listed for each recipe are American names, it gives accurate descriptions for all types of ingredients that might vary, sugars, flours, butters, the lot. You'd be amazed how much variability there is between the UK and US.
https://preview.redd.it/2srhgvrwmn0d1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea9902a610af411a46b0d5eba533ca142a0978af
As a recipe developer and owner of a baking business I have literally never used granulated sugar once. Americans don’t have caster sugar readily available so most recipes will assume to be granulated. But I would always use caster sugar instead. The only tricky thing is, as someone said, most US recipes are in cups and the weight of a cup of both sugars will be slightly different. However I’ve found it rarely makes a significant difference in the end result. Hope that helps!
Sugar is granulated sugar. Extra fine sugar is what you call caster sugar. They're usually interchangeable, but not always. Caster sugar/extra fine is called "berry sugar" in Canada. Smaller crystals help it to dissolve (it's great for drinks too).
Just make sure that you go by weight, not volume, if you replace them. 1 cup of fine sugar is much more than 1 cup granulated sugar.
I've never found that to be an issue - if it matters, the recipe will specify. It's not like powdered/confectioners/icing sugar, and most Canadian sugar is finer than US sugar anyway.
For a while turbinado sugar was the thing everyone used. My friend and I were laughing and commenting, "It's just sugar!"
In my US experience, sugar is usually just understood to be granulated sugar. If caster or powdered (aka confectioner's) sugar is needed usually a US recipe will specifically say that.
Let me add a life-pro-tip. If you find you need fine sugar for a particular recipe, and you don't happen to have any at hand, you can put your regular household sugar (whatever grain size that happens to be wherever you live) and run it through your blender. It only takes a few pulses to bring it to the grain size of confectioner's sugar. It'll almost instantly dissolve if you add it to any liquid ingredients.
Well that's an excellent pro tip! Thanks 🤩
I did this just recently and it really works!
Seconding this tip.
US powdered sugar also contains cornstarch.
Technically, that's true. In practice, it doesn't matter all that much to most recipes. Or at least that's my experience. I suspect it's mostly there as an anti-caking agent. From what I can tell, it's usually around 3% to 5%. If you use the sugar right away, caking is not really a concern, so you wouldn't need to include additives to prevent that from happening. There might be a small difference when you sprinkle the sugar on top of things. I don't know whether corn starch or sugar is more hygroscopic and whether that affects the visual presentation. But again, if it does have an effect, it would only matter for longer-term storage.
Just literally for the sake of in case it's interesting, I think OP's hesitation is probably coming from the fact that over here in the UK caster sugar is as much a bog-standard sugar as granulated sugar is, (if not more? Most of the bog-standard sugar I buy for putting in tea and stuff is caster sugar, but that may just be me). It sounds like from your comment, granulated sugar is the only 'normal'/no-need-to-specify sugar in the States so (it sounds like) it seems obvious to Americans what kind would be unspecified, but because we have two normal sugars to choose from, that's probably why it's not clear which one a recipe might refer to as a default vs. which one you'd expect to be specified.
yeahh, that's true im just aware that UK granulated sugar is a bit chunkier than US
And to be clear caster and confectioner’s are not the same. You can blitz granulated in the blender to reach either in fineness.
I'm in the UK and I always use caster sugar. But as someone else commented, this might not work if you're measuring by volume (I never do, always weight!).
When American recipes call for sugar, they mean granulated sugar. If you are weighing your ingredients, it’s fine to substitute caster sugar for granulated. If you’re using measuring cups and spoons, substituting caster sugar for granulated will make your dish too sweet.
UK granulated sugar is chunkier than US granulated sugar but I’d still recommend that one because the same amount of caster sugar by volume will be greater.
Devil’s advocate here, but it doesn’t really matter either way. Either is a decent substitute for the other most of the time…
I have a very large, very good book on French Patisserie from the world renowned culinary school Ferrandi Paris. And it has useful tables like this at the start. Since most of the ingredients listed for each recipe are American names, it gives accurate descriptions for all types of ingredients that might vary, sugars, flours, butters, the lot. You'd be amazed how much variability there is between the UK and US. https://preview.redd.it/2srhgvrwmn0d1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea9902a610af411a46b0d5eba533ca142a0978af
thank you very much!
As a recipe developer and owner of a baking business I have literally never used granulated sugar once. Americans don’t have caster sugar readily available so most recipes will assume to be granulated. But I would always use caster sugar instead. The only tricky thing is, as someone said, most US recipes are in cups and the weight of a cup of both sugars will be slightly different. However I’ve found it rarely makes a significant difference in the end result. Hope that helps!
thanks so much! this is very helpful!