How To Make Self Rising Flour - Easy Self Rising Flour Recipe! (2024)

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Self-rising flour is a staple in loads of baking recipes. Learn how to make self-rising flour from all-purpose flour with this easy, 3-ingredient substitute!

Looking for more baking tips and easy substitutions? Check out how to make a buttermilk substitute and how to make cake flour, too!

How To Make Self Rising Flour - Easy Self Rising Flour Recipe! (1)

Table of Contents

  • Why You’ll Love This Self Rising Flour Recipe
  • What’s the Difference Between All-Purpose Flour and Self-Rising Flour?
  • What You’ll Need
  • How to Make Self Rising Flour
  • Tips for Success
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • How to Store
  • More Baking Tips
  • Get the Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Self Rising Flour Recipe

Wondering what self-rising flour is? Or maybe you have a recipe that calls for it, but you don’t have any on hand. I’m covering all the bases with this easy tutorial on how to make your own with only 3 ingredients! Here’s why you need this easy substitute in your life:

  • Save an emergency trip to the store. The next time you run out of store-bought self-rising flour, it’s easy to make your own at home in a pinch.
  • Great for baking. Self-rising flour is exactly what it sounds like, a kind of flour that helps baked goods rise without the addition of yeast or baking powder. There’s less measuring and mixing needed.
  • 3 ingredients. If you have all-purpose flour, simply blend it with baking powder and salt –that’s it!
  • Long-term storage. Have this substitute on hand in the pantry for all your favorite recipes. Stored airtight, it keeps for months!

What’s the Difference Between All-Purpose Flour and Self-Rising Flour?

Self-rising flour is similar to all-purpose, with one key difference: the former has salt and baking powder already included to act as a leavening agent. So, if you have a recipe that calls for this 3-in-1 ingredient, and you only have all-purpose flour in your pantry, you can make an easy substitute by adding the missing leavening. Here’s how to do it!

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What You’ll Need

Check out the 3 pantry ingredients you’ll need along with some quick notes. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable ingredients list.

  • All-Purpose Flour –This homemade substitute starts with plain flour. You can also substitute half of the all-purpose with whole wheat flour if you’d like.
  • Baking Powder –Make sure you’re using fresh baking powder and not baking soda, as they aren’t the same thing.
  • Salt –Kosher salt or another fine salt is best.
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How to Make Self Rising Flour

The next time you find yourself short of this ingredient, don’t panic. To make all-purpose flour self-rising, use this simple formula:

For every 1 cup of regular flour, combine with 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Whisk the ingredients together so that they’re evenly distributed. Voila!

Can I Substitute Self Rising Flour for All-Purpose Flour?

Sure! Self-rising flour can replace all-purpose flour in recipes that call for up to 1 teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour.If your recipe requires more than 1 teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour, you’ll need to add enough baking powder to make up the difference.

This substitute is useful in baking recipes such as pancakes, biscuits, scones, or similar. Since homemade self-rising flour is higher in protein, the results may not be quite as tender, but it works great in a pinch. And you may not even be able to tell the difference!

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Tips for Success

This is such a simple baking hack to have on hand. It’s basically foolproof, but here are some final tips for the best results:

  • Skip the salt. If you’re using this substitute in yeasted bread recipes or dinner rolls, leave out the salt.
  • Measure the flour correctly. The best way to do this is with a kitchen scale. However, if you don’t have a scale, use the spoon-and-sweep method: spoon the flour from the bag into the measuring cup, and then level off the top with the back of a knife. Never scoop the flour directly from the bag, as you’ll end up with way too much.
  • Check expiration dates. Fresh baking powder is essential. Check the dates on the labels to make sure that the baking powder you’re using hasn’t expired. If you’re unsure, you can check the baking powder’s freshness by adding a small amount to boiling water. If it’s nice and bubbly, you’re all set.
  • Scale the recipe. I include how to make 2 cups in the recipe card at the end of the post. You can scale this basic recipe up or down as needed (see the formula above). You can choose to make exactly the amount you need or make a large batch and store the extras. Refer to the storage details later on.
  • Don’t skip the baking soda. If a recipe calls for baking soda, don’t skip it! As we’ve established, baking soda has a different chemical makeup from baking powder, and they aren’t interchangeable.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is baking soda the same as baking powder?

No, baking soda, also called bicarbonate of soda or sodium bicarbonate, and baking powder are not the same. Baking powder is made with baking soda, cream of tartar, and cornstarch added. See my baking powder substitute for details.

What recipes use self-rising flour?

Self-rising flour is an easy “shortcut” ingredient in many baking since the leavening is already included. It’s especially popular in Southern recipes for biscuits, cornbread, pancakes, waffles, cinnamon rolls, quick breads, and more.

Can I replace cake flour with self-rising flour?

Cake flour is a type of low-protein flour and the key to a soft, tender crumb in recipes like my vanilla cake and chiffon cake. I don’t recommend replacing cake flour with self-rising flour unless a recipe suggests it.

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How to Store

Store your flour in an airtight jar or container in the pantry for up to 6 months. Keeping the flour somewhere cool and dry is important so that the baking powder doesn’t activate.

More Baking Tips

  • The Best Substitutes for Butter
  • Cream of Tartar Substitutes for Baking
  • Egg Substitute For Baking
  • How to Freeze Cookie Dough

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    How To Make Self Rising Flour - Easy Self Rising Flour Recipe! (7)

    How To Make Self Rising Flour

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    • Author: Shelly
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Total Time: 5 minutes
    • Yield: approx. 2 cups
    • Category: Baking Tips
    • Method: No-Bake
    • Cuisine: American

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    Description

    Self rising flour is a staple in loads of baking recipes. Learn how to make self-rising flour from all-purpose flour with this easy, 3-ingredient substitute!

    Ingredients

    Scale

    • 2 cups all purpose flour
    • 3 teaspoons baking powder
    • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

    Instructions

    1. In a large bowl whisk all the ingredients together.

    Notes

    • Store airtight for up to 6 months.

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    How To Make Self Rising Flour - Easy Self Rising Flour Recipe! (2024)

    FAQs

    How to make your own self-rising flour? ›

    Just use this basic formula: For every 1 cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt. Whisk the ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl or put them in a glass jar and shake well. Store your self-rising flour in an airtight container in the pantry.

    How do you make self-raising flour with 2 cups of all-purpose flour? ›

    For example, if a recipe calls for 2 cups of self-rising flour, you would mix together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. You can also scale the recipe up to make a larger batch of DIY self-rising flour and store it for later use.

    How to make self-raising flour with baking? ›

    To make self-raising flour, mix 100g plain flour with 1 tsp baking powder. When making cakes or bread, it is essential you use plain or self-raising flour as stated in the recipe for successful results. You can also buy self-raising flour, which has the raising agent already added.

    What can I use if I don't have enough self-raising flour? ›

    “It is fairly easy to make your own self-raising flour. Just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder for each 150g/6oz/1 cup plain flour.

    What makes self-rising flour rise? ›

    The leavening power of the baking powder is mixed evenly throughout the flour, so you will automatically get that nice rise out of your baked goods every time you use self rising flour.

    What is the ratio for self-raising flour? ›

    Self-raising flour has a specific ratio of flour to baking powder. To replicate self-raising flour the proportion is approximately 1 tsp baking powder: 150gm (1 cup) of plain flour. However, many recipes require a different proportion of baking powder to flour in order to achieve the desired leavening.

    How much baking soda for 1 cup of flour? ›

    A good rule of thumb, according to Corriher, is that 1 cup of flour can be leavened by ¼ teaspoon baking soda or 1 to 1¼ teaspoons of baking powder. Corriher says you can neutralize 1 cup mildly acidic ingredient (sour cream, buttermilk) with ½ teaspoon of soda.

    What happens if you use all-purpose flour instead of self rising? ›

    If a recipe calls for self-raising flour it is doing so because it is relying on the raising agents in that flour to make the baked good 'rise'. If you use plain flour instead and don't add any raising agents you will most likely end up with a very flat, dense bake!

    Is Bisquick self-rising flour? ›

    A: Bisquick is a premixed baking product. It contains leavening (baking powder) and salt as same self rising flour does but also contains shortening.

    Does self-rising flour need yeast? ›

    This raising agent helps dough to rise without having to add yeast. You should only use self-rising flour as a substitute for other types of flour very carefully, due to the leavening effect. If you aren't careful, you may not end up with the desired result.

    Is cake flour self-rising flour? ›

    Cake flour is not a type of “self-raising flour,” and it is not “sponge flour.” Cake flour can be considered as a type of “plain flour” or “white flour”.

    How to make self-rising flour? ›

    For every cup of self-raising flour called for in your recipe, measure out 1 level cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour. Add 2 tsp. (8 grams) baking powder. Whisk to combine.

    What is self-raising flour not suitable for? ›

    As a general rule, don't use self raising flour if there is another leavening agent called for in the recipe such as yeast or baking soda.

    What can I add if I dont have enough flour? ›

    11 best flour substitutions
    1. Chickpea flour. Often confused with besan (see below), chickpea flour is made from ground white chickpeas. ...
    2. Almond flour. Almond flour is an excellent alternative to have in your kitchen cupboard. ...
    3. Gluten-free flour mixture. ...
    4. Coconut flour. ...
    5. Gram flour (besan) ...
    6. Rice flour. ...
    7. Buckwheat flour. ...
    8. Oat flour.
    Jan 31, 2023

    Why not use self-raising flour? ›

    Self raising flour should only be used for its specific purpose. The leavening agents in self raising flour are only right in specific recipes with specific ingredients combinations. Baking is all about the interactions of the ingredients, so substituting the wrong type of flour can be catastrophic to the final result.

    Is baking flour the same as self-rising flour? ›

    Once again, self-rising flour is not the same thing as all-purpose flour nor is it the same thing as cake flour, bread flour, or pastry flour. Self-rising flour is almost exactly like all-purpose flour, but it has added salt and leavening mixed into it.

    Is self-rising flour worth it? ›

    Anyone who bakes with self-rising flour regularly knows that it can be the secret to softer, more tender baked goods. It's also a brilliant baking shortcut, cutting out steps and streamlining your recipes.

    Is bicarbonate of soda the same as baking soda? ›

    Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, a fine white powder that has many uses. You may wonder about bicarbonate of soda vs. baking soda, but they are simply alternate terms for the same ingredient. If your recipe calls for bicarbonate of soda, it is simply referring to baking soda.

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