How to Make Self‐Rising Flour

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.
^{[2]
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Expert Source

Traci Morgan-Hoernke
Gluten-Free Baking Specialist

Expert Interview} Make sure that the baking powder is fresh. If the baking powder is not fresh, your self-rising flour will not work as well.

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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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Expert Source

Traci Morgan-Hoernke
Gluten-Free Baking Specialist

Expert Interview} ^{[4]
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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. ^{[5]
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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). ^{[6]
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Research source} Again, make sure that you mix it in well.
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. ^{[7]
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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. ^{[8]
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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. ^{[9]
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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. ^{[10]
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Expert Source

Traci Morgan-Hoernke
Gluten-Free Baking Specialist

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How to Make Self‐Rising Flour

Ingredients