Self rising flour it's one of those “if you know, you know” ingredients. Anyone who regularly bakes with self-rising flour knows it can be the secret to softer, fluffier baked goods. It's also a great baking shortcut, cutting out steps and simplifying your recipes.
Want to start baking with self-rising flour? Here's what you need to know.
What is self rising flour?
Self-rising flour is flour to which baking powder and salt have been added.
Milled from a softer wheat than all-purpose flour, it's also lower in protein (around 8.5%), meaning it produces softer, lighter and more tender baked goods. Self-rising flour is common in the South, where it is used for cookies, cakes, and other traditional Southern foods; Part of its appeal is that because the baking powder and salt are already in the flour, you don't need to add them separately, improving your baking.
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
How do you use self-rising flour?
Many recipes already call for self-rising flour, taking advantage of convenience, softness, or both.
To try self-rising flour in recipes that don't call for it, look for baked goods that use baking powder. Any recipe that calls for at least 1/2 teaspoon (and up to 1 teaspoon) of baking powder per cup of flour is a good choice. If you sub in self-raising flour for all-purpose flour, simply omit the baking powder and salt called for in the recipe; if the recipe calls for baking soda, leave it out – you'll need it to improve the rise and browning.
Pancakes, cookies, brownies, cakes and muffins are all good candidates for self-rising flour because it gives those baked goods an especially soft crumb. Since it has lower protein and its absorption will be a little less, you will want to reduce the amount of liquid called for in the recipe just a touch, to achieve the desired dough or batter consistency. Start by reserving a few tablespoons of the liquid, then add it by the tablespoon until your dough has reached the desired consistency.
Learn more here: How to replace self-raising flour with all-purpose flour
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
Recipe for baking with self-rising flour
Some of our favorite recipes are made with self-rising flour. Take these Easy Drop Cookies: Made from just two ingredients—self-raising flour and heavy cream—they come together in minutes and bake into light, fluffy cookies. (If you're looking for a layer cookie instead of a cookie, try Easy self-rising cookies.)
Or, for a quick and easy breakfast, make Light and fluffy pancakes with self-rising flour. They're a simple toss-and-mix recipe that bakes up super fluffy without any extra steps like whipping egg whites.
You can also simplify your desserts by making Self-rising yellow cake. Not only does self-rising flour reduce the amount of measurement, but the cake itself comes out soft and fluffy due to the lower wheat protein.
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
How to make self-rising flour
Self-rising flour is made from a softer flour with less protein, but this homemade version, which uses higher protein all-purpose flour, can be used in any recipe that calls for self-rising flour. Because of the slightly higher protein, be prepared to increase the liquid in the recipe somewhat, and expect the resulting baked goods to be a bit softer. If you want to replicate the lower protein, southern-style self-rising flour, you can use it Mix with pastry flour (10.3% protein) or Pastry flour (8.0% protein) instead of all-purpose flour when making your DIY version.
To make self-rising flour, mix together 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour (or other flour of choice), 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Substitute 1:1 by weight or volume in any recipe that calls for self-rising flour.
Ready to bake with self rising flour? Grab a bag (or make your own) and try one of these our many self-rising flour recipes.
Cover picture (Self-rising Crunchy Sugar Cookies) and food styling by Liz Neily.
