Self-Rising Flour Substitute from All-Purpose Flour

This self-rising flour substitute combines all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to make a one-cup batch for recipes that call for self-rising flour. The simple ratio gives you flour with a leavener and seasoning already mixed in, so you can measure it just like the store-bought kind.

Ingredients

1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons (6 g) baking powder
¼ teaspoon (about 1.5 g) fine salt

Instructions

Measure the flour. Spoon the all-purpose flour into a dry measuring cup and level the top with a straight edge, or weigh 120 g. Avoid scooping and packing the flour directly from its container; a packed cup can contain noticeably more flour and make the finished bake dense or dry.
Add the leavener and salt. Put the flour in a medium bowl and measure in the baking powder and fine salt. Use level measuring spoons rather than estimating, since too much baking powder can create a bitter or metallic taste and cause a quick rise followed by a collapse.
Whisk thoroughly. Whisk for about 30 seconds, moving around the edges and through the center so the baking powder and salt are evenly distributed. If the flour is lumpy, sift the ingredients together once, then whisk briefly. The mixture should look uniform, with no visible pockets of powder.
Use it in place of self-rising flour. Measure the finished mixture as one cup of self-rising flour and follow the recipe. If the original recipe also lists baking powder and salt, leave those ingredients out or reduce them according to the guidance below; otherwise, the bake may rise too much or taste overly salty.

Tips

Start with fresh baking powder. Baking powder gradually loses its lifting power after opening, especially if exposed to humidity. Check the package date and keep it tightly closed. If you are unsure whether it is active, stir ½ teaspoon into a little hot water; it should fizz promptly. Replace it if there is little or no bubbling.
Measure flour by weight when possible. A cup of flour can vary with the way it is scooped and the flour’s brand. This formula assumes 120 g per cup, a useful general-purpose conversion. If your recipe gives a flour weight, use that weight rather than converting it to cups.
Do not add the full original leavener automatically. When a recipe is written specifically for self-rising flour, its baking powder and salt are generally already accounted for in the flour. For a recipe written for all-purpose flour, use judgment: subtract the substitute’s baking powder and salt from the recipe’s listed amounts rather than adding both full sets.
Mix only what you need for the most reliable lift. Baking powder begins reacting when it meets liquid, and homemade blends can lose freshness if they absorb moisture in storage. For a special-occasion bake, mixing a fresh batch immediately before using it is the simplest way to keep the proportions dependable.

Serving Suggestions

This is an ingredient substitute, not a finished dish, so use it wherever a recipe specifically calls for self-rising flour. It is especially handy for quick biscuits, scones, pancakes, muffins, and simple quick breads. Measure the substitute into the recipe just as you would measure the self-rising flour, then mix the batter or dough only as much as the recipe directs. The flour blend will not supply liquid, fat, sugar, eggs, or flavorings; those still need to come from the recipe.

For biscuits or scones, keep the butter or other fat cold if the recipe calls for it, and handle the dough gently to avoid a tough result. For pancakes and muffins, combine wet and dry ingredients separately when the directions say to, then stir just until no large dry patches remain. This flour blend is not a ready-to-eat mix: raw flour should be baked or cooked as part of the finished recipe rather than tasted uncooked.

Variations

Make a larger batch. For 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, use 1 tablespoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon fine salt. For 4 cups (480 g) flour, use 2 tablespoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon fine salt. Whisk a larger batch especially well before measuring portions, because leavener can settle or collect in one area if the mixture is simply shaken.

Use a different salt. Fine table salt is easiest to distribute in this small quantity. If using coarse kosher salt, grind it or use a weight of about 1.5 g for the one-cup batch; measuring coarse crystals by volume can give a different salt level. If the recipe is already salty, reduce or omit the salt in this blend, keeping in mind that the flour will then not match a standard self-rising flour exactly.

Adapt for a recipe that already includes leavener. If a recipe calls for 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt, replace those three ingredients with this one-cup blend rather than combining everything. If the recipe lists different quantities, compare them carefully: use the blend to replace the flour, then add only any remaining baking powder or salt needed to reach the recipe’s intended total.

Whole-wheat option. You can replace some of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour, but the result may be heartier and less tender, and the dough may absorb more liquid. For a first try, use ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour and ½ cup (60 g) whole-wheat flour with the same baking powder and salt amounts. This change works best in robust muffins or quick breads rather than delicate biscuits.

Storage and Reheating

For best lift, prepare the blend just before baking. If you have extra, transfer it to a clean, completely dry, airtight container and label it with the date and ingredients. Keep it in a cool, dry pantry away from the stove, sink, and direct sunlight; moisture can cause clumping and weaken the baking powder. Use the stored mixture within about one month for the most dependable rise, and discard it sooner if it smells stale, becomes damp, or develops an unusual appearance.

There is no reheating step for this dry flour blend. Do not store it in a refrigerator, where condensation can introduce moisture when the container is opened. If you have made a batter or dough with it, follow that recipe’s instructions rather than keeping the raw mixture for later: baking powder starts working after liquid is added, so a long delay can reduce the lift. Once baked, store the finished food according to its recipe; this substitute itself does not change the safe storage time of the finished dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ratio for homemade self-rising flour?

For every 1 cup (120 g) of all-purpose flour, mix in 1½ teaspoons (6 g) baking powder and ¼ teaspoon (about 1.5 g) fine salt. Whisk well before using. For multiple cups, scale all three ingredients in the same proportion, and measure the finished blend as the amount of self-rising flour your recipe needs.

Can I use baking soda instead of baking powder?

Not as a direct one-for-one replacement. Baking soda needs an acidic ingredient in the recipe, such as buttermilk, yogurt, or an appropriate amount of lemon juice, to produce lift. Baking powder contains both the base and the acid needed for its reaction, so swapping in baking soda without changing the recipe can leave a soapy taste and poor rise.

Should I omit salt and baking powder from my recipe?

If you are replacing self-rising flour in a recipe written for that flour, do not add extra amounts of baking powder or salt unless the recipe specifically calls for them separately. If you are converting an all-purpose-flour recipe to use this blend, subtract the 1½ teaspoons baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt contributed by each cup of substitute from the recipe’s totals. Follow the recipe’s intended proportions, since some formulas need a different amount of leavener.

Can I use this in any recipe that calls for all-purpose flour?

Not without adjusting the rest of the ingredient list. This blend adds baking powder and salt, so using it in a recipe that expects plain all-purpose flour can make the result rise too much or taste salty. It is most suitable when self-rising flour is specifically requested, or when you deliberately revise a recipe’s leavener and salt amounts. It is generally not a direct replacement in yeast breads, where yeast provides the main rise.

Does self-rising flour contain baking soda?

Most standard self-rising flour is made with flour, baking powder, and salt; baking powder itself contains the components needed to create lift. Formulas and salt levels can vary by manufacturer and region, so check a package label if you are matching a particular product. This homemade ratio is a practical general substitute, not a guarantee of an exact match to every brand.

Can I make this with whole-wheat flour or gluten-free flour?

Whole-wheat flour can replace some or all of the all-purpose flour, but it usually makes baked goods denser and more strongly flavored; a half-and-half blend is a gentler place to start. Gluten-free flour blends vary in starches, binders, and absorption, so results are less predictable. Use a gluten-free blend intended for baking and follow its package guidance where available, since this basic ratio does not add the structure that gluten-free recipes may require.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).