Substitution guide

Self-Raising Flour Substitute

Plain flour + baking powder ↔ self-raising flour:

1:1by volume or weight

Use the same amount of plain flour as the self-raising flour in the recipe, then add 2 tsp baking powder per Australian cup (about 150 g). An Australian cup is 250 ml and a US cup 240 ml, and King Arthur weighs its cup of flour at 120 g. That’s why American mixes list less baking powder per cup, even though by weight the two come out close.

Self-raising flour is plain flour with the raising agent already mixed through it. Australian miller White Wings lists just wheat flour and raising agents (339, 341, 450, 500) — no salt. American self-rising flour is a slightly different product: King Arthur’s contains baking powder and salt, and is milled from soft wheat at about 8.5% protein. To replace either one, use the same amount of plain flour and add the leavening yourself. The Australian rule of thumb is 2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of plain flour. Every swap here uses wheat flour, so none of them stands in for gluten-free self-raising flour.

Two things go wrong with the swap. The first is doubling up on leavening. Self-raising flour already contains baking powder, and Doves Farm notes that self-raising flours "". Keep any extra baking powder or bicarb the recipe itself lists, but don’t add more on top of your mix — Doves Farm warns that too much baking powder "". The second is stale baking powder, which loses strength over time. Clabber Girl says an opened tin is best used within 6 months (an unopened one keeps up to 18 months). To check it, stir 1 teaspoon into ⅓ cup of warm water: if it bubbles straight away, it’s still good.

Australia and the UK say "" (White Wings, Doves Farm), and the US says "" (King Arthur). It’s the same idea but not quite the same product. Australian self-raising flour (White Wings) is wheat flour and raising agents with no salt on the ingredients list. US self-rising flour has salt added, and King Arthur’s is softer and lower in protein than its all-purpose flour (8.5% vs 11.7%). If an American recipe relies on the salt in its self-rising flour, use the US-style mix below.

Compare

Substitutes at a glance

Plain flour + baking powder (Australian mix)1 cup (150 g) plain flour + 2 tsp baking powder per cup
All-purpose flour + baking powder + salt (US mix)1 cup (120 g) plain flour + 1½ tsp baking powder + ¼ tsp salt per cup
Plain flour + baking powder (Doves Farm, UK)100 g plain flour + 2 level tsp baking powder per 100 g
Wholemeal plain flour + baking powder1 cup wholemeal plain flour + 2 tsp baking powder per cup
  • Plain flour + baking powder (Australian mix): The everyday Australian substitute (taste.com.au: ""). It has no salt, which matches Australian self-raising flour. Whisk or sift the two together well so the baking powder is spread evenly.
  • All-purpose flour + baking powder + salt (US mix): King Arthur’s homemade self-rising flour, which it says to "". The salt is there because US self-rising flour contains it. All-purpose flour is higher in protein than King Arthur’s self-rising (11.7% vs 8.5%), so add a little more liquid and expect a slightly less tender result.
  • Plain flour + baking powder (Doves Farm, UK): UK miller Doves Farm’s ratio. By weight it uses about half as much baking powder again as the Australian mix, so it gives a bigger lift. Stir, then sieve into another bowl. Don’t add any more baking powder on top, because too much can taste soapy.
  • Wholemeal plain flour + baking powder: King Arthur writes its mix for "", so wholemeal works with the same baking powder. Expect a coarser result: Doves Farm notes that the fineness of white flour is what makes it ideal for light sponges and fine patisserie.

Converter

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Enter how much self-raising flour your recipe calls for.

= 1 cup Plain flour + baking powder (Australian mix)

The everyday Australian substitute (taste.com.au: ""). It has no salt, which matches Australian self-raising flour. Whisk or sift the two together well so the baking powder is spread evenly.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is self-raising flour?
Plain flour with a raising agent already mixed in. Australian self-raising flour (White Wings) is wheat flour plus raising agents, with no salt listed. American self-rising flour also contains salt, and King Arthur’s is milled from soft wheat at about 8.5% protein, against 11.7% for its all-purpose flour.
How do I make self-raising flour from plain flour?
In Australia, add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to each cup (150 g) of plain flour and whisk or sift it through. For an American recipe, King Arthur uses 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt. UK miller Doves Farm goes stronger, with 2 level teaspoons per 100 g. Whichever mix you use, swap it 1:1 for the self-raising flour in the recipe.
Why do Australian and American recipes give different amounts of baking powder?
Mostly because the cups are different. An Australian cup is 250 ml and holds about 150 g of flour. A US cup is 240 ml, and King Arthur weighs a cup of flour at 120 g. Per 100 g of flour, the Australian mix works out to roughly 1⅓ teaspoons of baking powder and King Arthur’s to 1¼, so they’re close. The real difference is the ¼ teaspoon of salt in the US version.
Should I add extra baking powder when using self-raising flour?
Not unless the recipe tells you to. Self-raising flour already contains baking powder, and Doves Farm notes that self-raising flours do not usually need extra raising agents. The reverse swap works too: King Arthur says self-rising flour can replace all-purpose in recipes using about ½ teaspoon (up to 1 teaspoon) of baking powder per cup, as long as you leave out the recipe’s baking powder and salt. Don’t use bread (strong) flour in place of self-raising flour. King Arthur advises against swapping the two because bread flour is much higher in protein (12.7% vs about 8.5%).
Why didn’t my cake rise with homemade self-raising flour?
The most likely cause is old baking powder. Clabber Girl says an opened tin is best used within 6 months, or up to 18 months unopened. Test it by stirring 1 teaspoon into ⅓ cup of warm water: if it doesn’t bubble straight away, replace it. Mix it thoroughly too: Doves Farm stirs the flour and baking powder together, then sieves them into another bowl.

More conversions

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Sources: taste.com.au — Substitute ingredients (self-raising flour: ""); taste.com.au — Flour in grams (1 cup flour = 150 g; Australian cup 250 ml vs US 240 ml); White Wings Self Raising Flour 1 kg — ingredients & nutrition (miller, Australia); King Arthur Baking — How to substitute self-rising flour (US formula with salt, protein levels, 1:1 swap); Doves Farm — Yeast and raising agents (miller, UK: 2 tsp baking powder per 100 g plain flour; no extra raising agents); Doves Farm — Types of flour (fineness of white flour suits fine patisserie and light sponges); Clabber Girl — Bakers’ resources FAQs (baking powder shelf life and freshness test)