How to Make Self-Rising Flour for Baking and Beyond (2024)

My mother keeps multiple bags of self-rising and all-purpose flours on hand at all times. She also makes a custom flour blend exclusively for cookie baking, which she stores in a large container right next to her other flours. A mother who is always prepared: priceless.

My kitchen storage space is much more limited. When a recipe calls for self-rising flour—such as this 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuit recipe—I make a DIY batch on the fly. Doing so requires minimal prep time, and it’s easy enough to do if you keep a regular baking arsenal. But before we get into how to make your own self-rising flour, let’s cover the basics.

What is self-rising flour?

Self-rising flour is little more than a premeasured combination of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. But when reading your recipe, it’s important to pay close attention. You may see the term self-raising flour, particularly in British cookbooks. That little “a” makes a big difference—self-raising flour generally does not contain salt but often includes a larger amount of baking powder. We’ve listed instructions for both types of flour below.

You may also see recipes that call for self-rising cake flour, which you can also make at home. It’s a good idea to start with plain cake flour instead of all-purpose. (If necessary, you can make a cake flour substitute by combining all-purpose flour with a bit of cornstarch.) Want to know more about the differences between each type of flour, including the lowdown on bread flour, whole wheat flour, and bleached flour versus unbleached? It’s all in our guide to storing flour.

Another thing to consider: Southern recipes that call for self-rising flour often mean White Lily, a brand of flour made from a specific type of wheat. White Lily flours have a lower protein content than counterparts made by most other brands, rendering exceptionally tender baked goods. (White Lily is also well regarded for its buttermilk-enriched self-rising cornmeal—a shining star in the cornbread of my youth; if you spot it at a local market, I highly recommend scooping it up.)

Whichever all-purpose flour you buy will make a suitable base for your self-rising flour substitute, but here’s a baking tip: If you can’t find White Lily all-purpose but want to get as close to it as possible, use pastry flour, which has a closer protein content than most other all-purpose varieties.

Can I use baking soda instead?

Yes and no: If you choose to use baking soda instead of baking powder, you’ll need to add a few other ingredients to make it work, namely cream of tartar and cornstarch (or a cornstarch substitute). Read more about the differences between the two products in our guide to homemade baking powder.

Other tips:

When making any self-rising flour recipe, whisk the dry mix together thoroughly in a mixing bowl for at least 30 seconds (count it out, it’s longer than you think). You want to make sure the leavening agent and salt (if using) are evenly dispersed, which takes longer than you might imagine. Store any extra flour in an airtight container.

How to Make Self-Rising Flour for Baking and Beyond (2024)

FAQs

How do you make self-rising flour if you only have all-purpose flour? ›

Making self-rising flour at home is easy. 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.

How to make 2 cups of all-purpose flour into self-rising? ›

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. What is this? 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-rising flour with all-purpose flour and baking soda? ›

It's easy to make your own substitute at home. Here's our Test Kitchen's easy method to make self-rising flour: For every cup of self-rising flour, substitute one cup of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon baking soda.

How do you make 3 cups of all-purpose flour into self-rising? ›

If your recipe calls for more than 1 cup self-rising flour, use the following formula: For every 3 cups all-purpose flour, mix in 2 teaspoons baking powder. If the recipe does not call for salt, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

What can I add to all-purpose flour to make it self-rising? ›

Ingredients
  1. 1 cup (120g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour.
  2. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder.
  3. 1/4 teaspoon salt.

What can I add if I don't have self-rising flour? ›

Smith says to make a cup of self-rising flour: Measure out 1 level cup of all-purpose flour. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt.

How do you convert 1 2 cup plain flour to self-raising flour? ›

Use the ratio of 2 teaspoons of baking powder to every 1 cup / 150g / 6 oz of plain flour to make either a small batch or a bulk batch of self raising flour.

What is the ratio of 1 cup self-raising flour? ›

Self-raising flour: 1 cup self-raising flour = 1 cup plain flour + 1½ tsps baking powder.

What is in 1 cup of self-rising flour? ›

Self-rising flour is a combination of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Chances are high that you already have those staples in your pantry already too. The blend is typically comprised of 1 cup of all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt.

What happens when you add baking soda to flour? ›

Baking soda becomes activated when it's combined with both an acidic ingredient and a liquid. Upon activation, carbon dioxide is produced, which allows baked goods to rise and become light and fluffy (1).

Do you need baking soda to make self-rising flour? ›

Self-rising flour is a type of flour that includes leavening agents, which ensures perfectly risen baked goods. You don't need to use additional leavening agents (such as baking powder or baking soda) when you use self-rising flour.

Does adding baking soda to plain flour make it self-raising? ›

Run out of self-raising flour? All you need is regular plain flour and baking soda to make your own. Self-raising flour bought at a supermarket is pre-packaged plain flour with the addition of a leavening agent (and sometimes salt), used to achieve a desired leavening in cooking and baking.

What happens if I 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!

How much self-rising flour do I substitute for all-purpose flour? ›

For every one cup of self-rising flour in your recipe, measure 1 level cup all-purpose flour.

What is the ratio flour to 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.

How to turn plain flour into self-raising flour with baking powder? ›

How much baking powder should be added to plain flour to make self-raising flour? The answer is 1 tsp of baking powder per 100g of plain flour.

How much baking powder do I add to 1 cup of flour to make it self raising? ›

To substitute self-rising for all-purpose flour, look for recipes that use baking powder: about ½ teaspoon per cup of flour, minimum.

How much water should I add for 1 cup flour? ›

American bakers grew up using cups, where a cup of water is equal to a cup of flour and so forth.

Is 1 to 1 baking flour self rising? ›

Self rising flour is a mixture made up of regular flour, baking powder and salt. You can make your own by combining 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt.

How heavy is 2 cups of self-raising flour? ›

Cup Conversions:

1 cup self-raising flour = 125g (4oz) 1 cup granulated sugar = 250g (8oz)

Does baking powder go bad? ›

Unopened baking powder can be stored for up to 18 months and still be fresh and effective. After that, you'll likely notice a loss of potency when using it in baking recipes. Opened baking powder should be used within 6 months.

What does baking soda do to gray hair? ›

Since baking soda is a scrubbing agent, washing your hair with it can gradually strip the dye from your locks. Baking soda can lighten all hair colors, but it might take a few washes to get your hair to the desired color.

How much baking soda do I use 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.

Does baking soda whiten teeth? ›

Baking soda is good for teeth whitening because it is a very mild abrasive, which helps remove stains from the surface of your teeth. In addition, baking soda is alkaline and salty, which helps lighten acid-based food stains – such as those from coffee, tea, and red wine – on teeth.

Which is better for baking self-rising flour or all-purpose flour? ›

It's used for baking, coating meats and vegetables, and thickening soups and stews. Self-rising flour has a more specific purpose: making cakes and pastries. Self-rising flour contains leavening agents that allow goods to rise even without baking powder or soda. All-purpose flour does not.

Why do you add baking powder to self-raising flour? ›

Some recipes may ask for a little addicional baking powder to be added, particularly if the cake is made with an all-in-one method as omitting the creaming stage in the cake making means less air is incorpoated into the batter during the mixing stage.

What is the best flour for baking? ›

All-purpose flour is best used for: cookies, muffins, bread, pie crusts, pancakes, biscuits, pizza dough, and pasta.

Does self-raising flour need time to rise? ›

As you are using self rising flour and beer for this easy bread recipe, you don't need to wait for the dough to rise. So more time to enjoy it!

How to make 4 cups of self-rising flour? ›

Large Batch Self-Rising Flour Recipe (Makes 4 Cups)
  1. 4 cups all-purpose flour.
  2. 6 teaspoons baking powder.
  3. 1 teaspoon salt.
Jan 17, 2023

How do you make 8 oz of self-raising flour? ›

To make the self raising flour, add 1 tsp of the baking powder to 200g or 8 oz of plain flour and mix. That's it!

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of self-rising? ›

For every one cup of self-rising flour in your recipe, measure 1 level cup all-purpose flour.

How do you make self-raising flour from plain flour per cup? ›

Use the ratio of 2 teaspoons of baking powder to every 1 cup / 150g / 6 oz of plain flour to make either a small batch or a bulk batch of self raising flour.

Do I need baking soda if I use self-rising flour? ›

Self-rising flour is a type of flour that includes leavening agents, which ensures perfectly risen baked goods. You don't need to use additional leavening agents (such as baking powder or baking soda) when you use self-rising flour.

How much baking powder do I add to 1 cup self-raising 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 1 cup of self-raising flour? ›

1 cup self-raising flour = 125g (4oz)

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