What this calculator does
Self-rising flour is plain flour with baking powder and salt already mixed in. The standard proportions are 2 teaspoons of baking powder and a quarter teaspoon of salt per cup of flour, which is all there is to making it yourself.
It is worth knowing the ratio because self-rising flour is difficult to buy in some countries and because it does not keep indefinitely: the baking powder loses potency over months, so flour bought long ago may not raise reliably. Mixing what you need is both cheaper and fresher.
The formula
The quantities scale directly with the flour: 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 0.25 teaspoons of salt for every cup. The salt can be omitted where the recipe already carries enough, or where salted butter is being used, which is why it is optional here.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Self-rising flour | Plain flour pre-mixed with a chemical leavener and usually salt. |
| Baking powder | A mixture of an alkali, an acid and a starch buffer, which releases carbon dioxide when wet and again when heated. |
| Plain flour | Also called all-purpose flour. Flour with nothing added. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour (cups) | Cups of plain flour to convert. |
| Include salt | Whether to include the salt. Leave it out if the recipe is already salted or if you are using salted butter. |
When to use it
Making a recipe that calls for self-rising flour
The most common reason, particularly outside countries where it is sold as standard. Two ingredients turn plain flour into it.
Using up old self-rising flour
The leavener degrades over time, so flour that has been open for many months may not raise. Mixing fresh is more reliable than hoping.
Adapting a recipe in the other direction
A recipe written for plain flour plus baking powder can be made with self-rising flour by omitting the added leavener, provided the amounts line up.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How much baking powder and salt for each amount of flour?
A range of flour quantities with the additions scaled to match.
| Cups of plain flour | Baking powder to add | Salt to add |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 2.00 tsp | 0.25 tsp |
| 2 cups | 4.00 tsp | 0.50 tsp |
| 4 cups | 8.00 tsp | 1.00 tsp |
Questions
How do I make self-rising flour?
Add 2 teaspoons of baking powder and a quarter teaspoon of salt to each cup of plain flour, and whisk thoroughly so the leavener is evenly distributed. Uneven mixing produces patches that rise more than others, which is the main thing to get right.
Can I substitute self-rising for plain flour?
Only if you remove the leavener and salt the recipe would otherwise add. Using self-rising flour in a recipe that also calls for baking powder doubles the leavening, giving a cake that rises fast and then collapses.
Does self-rising flour go off?
The flour keeps as long as any flour, but the baking powder loses strength over months, particularly once opened and exposed to humidity. Flour more than about six months old may raise poorly. Testing a spoonful in hot water, which should fizz vigorously, is a quick check.
Is self-rising flour the same as self-raising?
Yes, the same thing under British and American spellings. There is a small difference in convention, in that British self-raising flour is often made with a slightly lower protein flour, which suits cakes and scones better than bread.
For yeast-leavened baking instead, see the yeast converter. For converting cup measures to weights, see the cups to grams calculator.