How to substitute self-rising flour for all-purpose flour (2024)

FAQs

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

As long as the recipe you're making calls for leavening agents (as banana bread does), you can substitute self-rising for all-purpose flour. According to the baking pros at King Arthur Flour, look for recipes that use about ½-teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour.

As long as the recipe you're making calls for leavening agents (as banana bread does), you can substitute self-rising for all-purpose flour. According to the baking pros at King Arthur Flour, look for recipes that use about ½-teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour.

Bread recipes usually ask for plain flour, and that's because the raising agent comes from the yeast working with the water, flour and salt. If you use self-raising flour, your bread won't rise evenly and you could end up with a stodgy crumb.

As a general rule, don't use self raising flour if there is another leavening agent called for in the recipe such as yeast or baking soda.

Self-rising flour blends the raising agent and a touch of salt with the flour, which means fewer measurements and less room for error. And for cookie recipes, that translates to the perfect rise and texture with minimal fuss – all while using less all-purpose flour, thus making your pantry more purposeful.

In some cases, this is true and self-rising flour is a convenient alternative to regular flour, but that is not always the case. Because self-rising flour contains added leavening agents using it incorrectly can throw off the texture and flavor of your baked goods.

Self-rising flour is a type of flour that includes leavening agents, which ensures perfectly risen baked goods. You don't need to use additional leavening agents (such as baking powder or baking soda) when you use self-rising flour.

In the US self-rising flour also contains added salt which can lead to some of the recipes tasting a little too salty if this flour is used. As a guide, Nigella uses 150g (1 cup) plain flour plus 2 teaspoons baking powder to replace self-raising flour in recipes.

Do you use plain or self-raising flour for the batter? Self-raising flour helps add air, which results in a light, crispy batter. If you only have plain flour at home, add a little baking powder to the batter.

Probably not. Self-raising flour already contains a raising agent. Depending on your recipe/intended use of the flour, too much raising agent can be a problem. Anyway, you don't need it, so save your baking soda for the next time you've got plain flour in the cupboard!

Can I use self-raising flour 2 years out of date? ›

One exception to this is self-rising flour. While the flour itself remains stable, its added baking powder gradually loses potency — just like the can of baking powder in your cupboard does. Yes, you can bake with self-rising flour after its best-by date; but your baked goods may not rise as well.

This raising agent helps dough to rise without having to add yeast. You should only use self-rising flour as a substitute for other types of flour very carefully, due to the leavening effect. If you aren't careful, you may not end up with the desired result.

If the recipe called for all-purpose flour, and all you had was self-rising flour, you could have used it by leaving out the salt and the baking powder that the recipe called for since it is already in the flour.

Not only does self-rising flour reduce the amount of measuring, but the cake itself turns out soft and tender because of the lower protein wheat.

Self-rising flour: Yes, I said self-rising. The baking powder it contains makes for a crispy coating and crunchy, bubbly skin. If you only have all-purpose flour that's alright: just whisk in 2 teaspoons of baking powder and a pinch of fine salt before you whisk in the seasonings.

Do you use plain or self-raising flour for the batter? Self-raising flour helps add air, which results in a light, crispy batter. If you only have plain flour at home, add a little baking powder to the batter.

Just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder for each 150g/6oz/1 cup plain flour. Sift the flour and baking powder together into a bowl before using, to make sure the baking powder is thoroughly distributed (or you can put both ingredients into a bowl and whisk them together).

Do you use plain or self-raising flour for pancakes? For thicker pancakes, use self-raising flour. If you don't have any self-raising flour in the pantry you can make your own at home using plain flour and baking powder. This also lets you control the raising agents in your batter for thicker pancakes.

When making cakes or bread, it is essential you use plain or self-raising flour as stated in the recipe for successful results. You can also buy self-raising flour, which has the raising agent already added.