How to Make Self‐Rising Flour

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27 Recipe Ratings | Success Stories

Co-authored by Emily Margolis

Last Updated: November 19, 2023 Approved

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If your recipe calls for self-rising flour, and you only have all-purpose at home, there is no need to panic. It is quite simple to make your own self-rising flour using ingredients you likely have at home. This article will show you how to do that. It will also show you how to make a gluten-free variation for those who have allergies.

Ingredients

Basic Self-Rising Flour^{[1]
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1 cup (150 grams) of all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons (6 g) of baking powder
¼ - ½ (1.4-2.8 g) teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) of baking soda (optional)

Gluten-Free Self-Rising Flour

1 ¼ cup (170 g) of brown rice flour
1 ¼ cup (205 g) of white rice flour
1 cup (120 g) of tapioca flour
1 cup (165 g) of sweet/glutinous rice flour
2 scant teaspoons (15 g) of xanthan gum
6 ¾ teaspoons (31 g) of baking powder
1 ⅛ teaspoon (6.3 g) of salt

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Making Basic Self-Rising Flour

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Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. If your recipe calls for more flour, simply increase the proportions.
Make sure that the baking powder is fresh. If the baking powder is not fresh, your self-rising flour will not work as well.^{[2]
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Take a look at your recipe. If your recipe already contains salt, about ¼ teaspoon (1.4 g) of salt added to your all-purpose flour will do. If your recipe does not contain salt, bump it up to ½ teaspoon (2.8 g) of salt.
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Include ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) of baking soda if your recipe calls for buttermilk, cocoa, or yogurt. These ingredients require a little extra raising power. The baking soda (in addition to the baking powder) will give them just that.^{[3]
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- If you are not baking with buttermilk, cocoa, or yogurt, you do not need to add the baking soda.
Use a whisk or fork to mix them together.
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Use the flour in your recipe. Keep in mind, however, that store-bought self-rising flour is made from a slightly different wheat. Whatever you are baking will not be quite as tender.
- You should be able to use your homemade self-rising flour for a variety of recipes calling for standard self-rising flour, including biscuits and dumplings.
Note the expiration date on your baking powder. This is when your self-rising flour will expire too. Copy the expiration date from your baking soda into your self-rising flour container.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Making Gluten-Free Self-Rising Flour

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You’ll need 1 ¼ cup (170 g) of brown rice flour, 1 ¼ cup (205 g) of white rice flour, 1 cup (120 g) of tapioca flour, and 1 cup (165 g) of sweet/glutinous rice flour. Mix them together using a whisk or fork until they are evenly combined.
You will need just a little less than 2 teaspoons (15 g).^{[5]
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In a separate bowl, combine the baking powder and the salt. You will need about 6 ¾ teaspoons (31 g) of baking powder and 1 ⅛ teaspoon (6.3 g) of salt. If you won't be using all of your gluten-free flour mix, use 1 ½ teaspoons (6 g) of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon (1.4 g) of salt for each 1 cup (120 g) of flour.^{[6]
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Mix the two together using a whisk or fork until everything is evenly combined.
Take note of the expiration date on your box of baking powder. This is when your self-rising flour will expire. You might want to copy this date down onto the container you will be keeping your flour in. When you are done, put the container in a cool, dark place.

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How long I can use homemade self raising flour?

Community Answer

Self rising flour will typically last 3 to 4months, sometimes longer.

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Tips

If you have self-raising flour, and need all-purpose flour for a recipe, simply use less baking soda and salt in your recipe.^{[7]
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When making larger batches, measure your flour by weight (grams) instead of by volume (cups). This will help keep things more consistent.^{[8]
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Self-rising flour is the same thing as self-raising flour.

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Warnings

Your homemade self-rising flour will not last forever. It contains baking soda, which loses some of its raising abilities over time. The longer your flour sits, the less your cakes will rise.

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Store-bought self-rising flour is made from a softer wheat than all-purpose flour. This helps make baked goods more tender. Adding baking powder to all-purpose flour will give you similar results, but the final baked good will not be as tender.^{[9]
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