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If you’re making a recipe that calls for self rising flour and you don’t have it in your pantry, don’t worry, you can make it yourself. It’s easy, fast, and works the same as the store-bought version. If you’ve ever wondered how to DIY it yourself, this is the post for you.

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Flour in a red measuring cup with writing and a bag of flour


How to Substitute Flour Video

What is self rising flour?

Self rising flour is a combination of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. I think of it as a semi-homemade flour – it comes already pre-mixed.

Can you substitute all purpose flour for self-rising flour?

It cannot be substituted in place of all-purpose flour or bread flour, but you can use AP flour to make it. Since this flour includes baking powder, you can really only substitute it in recipes that call for all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. According to King Arthur Flour, it is a staple in many Southern kitchens, and is made from a softer, lower-protein flour than all-purpose flour.

If, however, your recipe calls for 1 cup all purpose flour and about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of baking powder, sometimes you can have success substituting. However, I would err on the side of just making my own and not chance baking failure.

What is Self-Rising Flour Used For?

You often see it in bread and baked good recipes, like biscuits. Sometimes you’ll see it called for in pancake recipes, cakes, or cupcakes, but you should never use it in yeasted recipes. I also use it in my WW Pizza Dough Recipe.

Biscuit with chocolate spread on a white plate with spread on a knife

Where can you buy it?

Most grocery stores carry this flour, and all the major brands (Pillsbury, King Arthur, etc) have it. However, some smaller stores (or stores like Target) may not carry it in some areas since it’s not a widely used product. That’s when learning how to make self-rising flour at home is key for recipe success.

bowl of flour

How to substitute self-rising flour for all-purpose flour

It’s easy and you probably already have all the ingredients you need.

  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt

That’s all you need to make this flour yourself. You can make it on a case-by-case basis as you need it, or you can make a larger batch to store and easily use whenever a recipe calls for it. With just three ingredients you can make it in just a few minutes.

Tips for Substituting:

  • Be sure to measure your flour correctly and not to pack it.
  • If you are substituting it for all purpose flour in a recipe with baking soda, you still need to add the baking soda since there is none in SR flour.
  • Occasionally you will need to add a touch more liquid to a recipe when you’re substituting homemade self rising flour for store-bought. This is because all purpose flour is courser than the normal flour used in making it.

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photo of self rising flour

Self-Rising Flour

3.54 from 30 votes
How to make self-rising flour by using just 3 easy ingredients from your pantry. This is a great substitution recipe!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Yield 1 cup
Serving Size 1 cup

Ingredients
 

For 1 cup:

  • 1 cup (124g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For enough to store:

  • 4 cups (496g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
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Instructions

  • For one cup: whisk ingredients then add to the recipe that calls for 1 cup self-rising flour.
  • For enough to store: whisk ingredients then store in an airtight container for up to 1 year.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 440kcal
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

**Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!**

red measuring cup with flour in it and words on photo

Last Updated on May 18, 2021



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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14 Comments

  1. I dont have any all purpose flour can i use self rising flour for chocolate cupcakes? And whats the difference between self rising n all purpose?

    1. I wouldn’t substitute self-rising for all-purpose in recipes that don’t usually call for it. There are other conversions that have to be made.

    1. I have not tried that – but if you do let me know how it works. Typically wheat flour needs more liquid than white flour, so take that into consideration

  2. For the store, shouldn’t the baking powder be 6 tsp or 3 tbsp? Since it is 4 times the amount of the 1 cup recipe?

    1. Since there are 3 teaspoons in 1 Tablespoon, there are 6 t. in 2 T.
      6 t. ÷ 4 = 1 & 1/2 t.
      As is 4 c. ÷ 4 = 1 c.
      and 2 t. ÷ 4 = 1/2 t.

    1. Hi Janice, I just tried it with Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour and it worked great! I also added 1/4 cup ground flaxseed.