What is Self-Rising Flour?
Self-rising flour is all-purpose flour with a leavening agent (baking powder) and seasoning (salt) already added. The baking powder causes the batter or dough to expand into a beautiful muffin or biscuit, while the salt seasons the flour and the final baked good. This type of flour is used in all types of baked goods, but you will mostly find it in the ingredients of biscuits, scones, and muffins. Some quick breads such as beer bread using self-rising flour, like this Guinness Bread with Molasses. It’s also used in some cake recipes. It’s basically a convenient shortcut! You can find self-rising flour in the baking aisle of supermarkets. It’s usually right next to the all-purpose flour. Pillsbury and Gold Medal are common brands, but you can also find self-rising flour from King Arthur Flour and White Lily. Some gluten-free self-rising flours can also be found at specialty and health food stores.
Self-Rising Flour vs All-Purpose Flour
The two flours are not substitutes for each other. If a recipe calls for all-purpose flour it will likely also have baking powder and salt in the ingredient list. If you use self-rising flour instead, you’ll have extra baking powder and salt in the mix, and the recipe may fail. Similarly, if a recipe calls for self-rising and you use all-purpose, the recipe won’t have what it needs for expansion and flavor.
Don’t forget to label it so you don’t mix it up with your regular all-purpose flour!
