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Self-Rising to All-Purpose Flour Converter

Convert between self-rising and all-purpose flour — add the right baking powder and salt to make self-rising, or adjust a recipe when you only have one kind.

Flour amount

What you need

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How it works

Per cup all-purpose → self-rising: + 1½ tsp baking powder + ¼ tsp salt · Reverse: omit that leavening and salt from the recipe

Self-rising flour is simply all-purpose flour with baking powder and salt already blended in — about 1½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt per cup. So you can make it yourself by whisking those into plain flour, or go the other way by leaving the added leavening and salt out of a recipe when you only have self-rising on hand. The one catch is freshness: because the baking powder is mixed in, self-rising flour loses its lift over time, so blend your own if the bag has been open a while.

Worked example

A biscuit recipe calls for 2 cups of self-rising flour but you only have all-purpose. Whisk 2 × 1½ = 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) of baking powder and 2 × ¼ = ½ teaspoon of salt into 2 cups of all-purpose flour, then use it just like self-rising.

Frequently asked questions

How much baking powder and salt are in self-rising flour?

The standard blend is about 1½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt per cup of flour. Whisk those into all-purpose flour and you have a working self-rising substitute.

Can I use self-rising flour in any recipe?

Only where the recipe was written for plain flour plus a leavener — biscuits, pancakes, muffins and many quick breads. If you use it, leave out the recipe’s baking powder and cut the salt accordingly. Avoid it in yeast breads and recipes that call for baking soda with a specific acid, where the built-in leavening throws off the balance.

Does self-rising flour go bad?

The flour itself keeps, but the baking powder blended into it slowly loses potency once the bag is opened, so older self-rising flour gives a weaker rise. If yours has been open for months, mixing your own from fresh all-purpose flour and baking powder gives more reliable results.

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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.