How to Make Self-Raising Flour: Simple Ratios and Tips
If you’ve ever opened the cupboard only to find plain flour instead of self-raising, you’re not alone — and the fix takes about 30 seconds. Dr. Oetker UK recommends mixing 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder with 150g plain flour and sifting well to get a consistent rise, but the trick is getting the ratio right depending on whether you’re following a British, American, or Australian recipe.
Standard ratio (Dr. Oetker): 100g plain flour + 1 tsp baking powder ·
Nigella Lawson ratio: 150g plain flour + 2 tsp baking powder ·
King Arthur Baking ratio: 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1½ tsp baking powder + ½ tsp salt ·
Metric equivalent: 2 tsp baking powder per 150g plain flour
Quick snapshot
- Baking powder is the standard leavening agent for self-raising flour (Dr. Oetker UK, baking ingredient manufacturer).
- 1 tsp baking powder per 100g plain flour works reliably (Dr. Oetker UK, baking ingredient manufacturer). (Dr. Oetker UK, baking ingredient manufacturer)
- 2 tsp baking powder per 150g flour works reliably (Nigella Lawson, cookbook author).
- Baking soda requires an acid to activate (King Arthur Baking, flour and baking supplier).
- Whether salt should always be added; King Arthur includes ¼ tsp per cup, but UK recipes often omit it.
- Optimal storage life of homemade self-raising flour varies (some sources say 3 months, others 6; Dr. Oetker says up to 8 weeks).
- Whether the US self-rising flour salt content matches the UK self-raising version exactly.
- Homemade self-raising flour can be stored in an airtight container for up to 8 weeks (Dr. Oetker UK, baking ingredient manufacturer).
- Use homemade self-raising flour as a 1:1 substitute in any recipe that calls for self-raising flour.
Five key facts, one pattern: all reputable sources agree on the principle (baking powder + flour), but the precise ratio differs by a few grams. Here is a breakdown of the most cited formulas.
| Source | Flour amount | Baking powder | Salt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Oetker UK | 100g plain flour | 1 tsp | No |
| Nigella Lawson | 150g (1 cup) plain flour | 2 tsp | No (unless US-style) |
| King Arthur Baking | 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour | 1½ tsp | ¼ tsp table salt |
| Top With Cinnamon | 75g plain white flour | 1 tsp (4g) | No |
| Nigella Lawson (alternative) | 150g plain flour | 2 tsp | Optional |
| King Arthur Baking (US self-rising) | 1 cup all-purpose flour | 1½ tsp | ¼ tsp |
How can I make plain flour into self-raising?
Basic ratio: 1 tsp baking powder per 100g plain flour (Dr. Oetker) · Nigella’s ratio: 2 tsp per 150g plain flour
What is the basic ratio for self-raising flour?
- Dr. Oetker UK, a leading baking ingredients manufacturer, recommends 1.5 tsp baking powder per 150g plain flour (Dr. Oetker UK, baking ingredient manufacturer). This simplifies to roughly 1 tsp per 100g.
- Nigella Lawson, the celebrated British cookbook author, uses 2 tsp baking powder for every 150g (1 cup) plain flour (Nigella Lawson, cookbook author).
- King Arthur Baking, a trusted US flour mill, makes self-rising flour by adding 1½ tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt per cup (120g) all-purpose flour (King Arthur Baking, flour and baking supplier).
How do I mix plain flour and baking powder?
- Place the plain flour in a bowl and add the recommended amount of baking powder.
- Sift the mixture together at least twice to distribute the leavening evenly — Dr. Oetker UK insists on sifting (Dr. Oetker UK, baking ingredient manufacturer).
- Alternatively, whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl for 30 seconds if you don’t have a sifter.
A pocket of baking powder will cause uneven rising — and a bitter taste. Sifting ensures every gram of flour has an equal chance to lift.
The implication: there is no single “correct” ratio, but the range is tight. Choose the one that matches your recipe’s origin — British recipes pair well with Nigella’s 2 tsp per 150g, while American recipes align with King Arthur’s formula.
How do I make 200g self-raising flour?
Scaling the ratio is straightforward once you know the base. Here are the most common requests answered with Dr. Oetker’s 1 tsp per 100g guideline.
How much baking powder for 200g plain flour?
- Using the 1 tsp per 100g rule: 200g plain flour + 2 tsp baking powder (Dr. Oetker UK, baking ingredient manufacturer).
- Nigella’s 2 tsp per 150g formula would give 2.66 tsp for 200g — but rounding to 2½ tsp works fine (Nigella Lawson, cookbook author).
- Top With Cinnamon suggests 2.5 tsp (10g) baking powder for 200g flour based on its 1 tsp per 75g ratio (Top With Cinnamon blog).
What about 250g self-raising flour?
- 250g plain flour + 2.5 tsp baking powder (Dr. Oetker ratio).
- Nigella’s method would require 3.33 tsp — use 3 tsp (1 tbsp) and accept a slightly lighter rise.
How to scale for 500g or 100g?
- 500g plain flour + 5 tsp baking powder (Dr. Oetker).
- 100g plain flour + 1 tsp baking powder (Dr. Oetker).
- For larger batches, sift in batches to ensure even distribution.
Scaling up works linearly, but baking powder loses potency over time. If your tin is older than six months, add an extra ¼ tsp per 100g to compensate for aged leavening.
The trade-off: using Nigella’s richer ratio gives a taller, airier crumb, while Dr. Oetker’s lighter ratio suits denser bakes like scones. The pattern is simple — pick your source and multiply.
Can I add bicarbonate of soda to plain flour to make self-raising flour?
Yes, but it is not a direct swap. Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) needs an acid to activate, whereas baking powder contains both an acid and a base.
What is the difference between baking powder and bicarbonate of soda?
- Baking powder contains baking soda, cream of tartar, and a starch — it is self-contained and activates with moisture and heat.
- Bicarbonate of soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. It requires an acid (buttermilk, yogurt, lemon juice, vinegar, or cocoa) to react (King Arthur Baking, flour and baking supplier).
- Without acid, bicarbonate of soda leaves a soapy, metallic aftertaste.
How to substitute bicarbonate of soda for baking powder?
- For every teaspoon of baking powder you need, use ¼ tsp baking soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar (Nigella Lawson, cookbook author).
- If you use baking soda alone, add an acidic ingredient to the recipe — e.g., ½ cup buttermilk or 2 tbsp lemon juice per 250g flour.
- Nigella recommends adding ¼ tsp baking soda when baking with cocoa, yogurt, or buttermilk because these ingredients may need extra leavening (Nigella Lawson, cookbook author).
Baking soda is not a substitute for baking powder in self-raising flour unless you adjust the recipe’s acidity. The result will be flatter if you skip the acid, or too coarse if you overdo it.
What this means: if you’re only out of self-raising flour but have plain flour and baking powder, stick with baking powder. Reserve the bicarb route for when you have an acid handy.
What do I do if I don’t have self-raising flour?
The fix is simple: use plain flour plus baking powder at the ratios above. But there are nuances depending on the recipe.
Can I use plain flour and add baking powder later?
- Yes — add 1½ tsp baking powder per cup (150g) of plain flour at home, as recommended by King Arthur Baking (King Arthur Baking, flour and baking supplier).
- For recipes that already call for baking powder or soda, reduce the added baking powder to avoid over-leavening. King Arthur advises that self-rising flour works in recipes using up to 1 tsp baking powder per cup of flour, but recipes requiring more may need extra powder (King Arthur Baking, flour and baking supplier).
How to adjust recipes that call for self-raising flour?
- If a recipe calls for self-raising flour, replace it with the same weight of plain flour plus the baking powder ratio.
- Sift together to avoid lumps.
- If the recipe also includes salt, omit the salt from the homemade mix if you’re following the US-style self-rising flour that already contains salt.
Baking Forums (community discussion) warns that extra leavening may be needed if the recipe uses more than 1 tsp baking powder per cup — otherwise the crumb may be too dense.
The implication: making self-raising flour from plain flour is not just possible — it’s often better because you control the freshness of the leavening. Store-bought self-raising flour can sit on shelves for months, losing potency.
What is 200g self-raising flour in cups?
Conversions between weight and volume for flour are never exact because settling and sifting change the density. But a reliable baseline exists.
How to convert grams to cups for self-raising flour?
- 1 cup self-raising flour ≈ 125g (varies by method; spoon-and-sweep gives ~125g, tapping packs more).
- 200g self-raising flour ≈ 1.6 cups (200 ÷ 125).
- 250g ≈ 2 cups; 100g ≈ 0.8 cups (about ¾ cup + 1 tbsp).
What is the weight of one cup of self-raising flour?
- Top With Cinnamon recommends the spoon-and-sweep method for volume measurement rather than tapping or packing flour into a cup (Top With Cinnamon blog).
- A kitchen scale is the most accurate tool; volume conversions are estimates.
Relying on cups introduces a 10–20% error margin. For bakes where precision matters — like cakes or biscuits — a scale is worth the extra ten seconds.
Why this matters: if you are following a US recipe that uses cups, use King Arthur Baking’s weight per cup (120g for all-purpose flour) instead of 125g. The difference compounds when scaling up.
How to Make Self-Raising Flour: Step by Step
- Measure your plain flour. Use a kitchen scale for accuracy. If measuring by cups, spoon the flour into the cup and level off without tapping.
- Add baking powder. Use the ratio that matches your source: 1 tsp per 100g (Dr. Oetker), 2 tsp per 150g (Nigella), or 1½ tsp per 120g (King Arthur).
- Add salt (optional). Add ¼ tsp salt per cup of flour only if your recipe doesn’t already include salt.
- Sift together at least twice into a mixing bowl. Sifting aerates and distributes the baking powder evenly.
- Whisk or stir for 10 seconds if you don’t have a sifter.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 8 weeks (Dr. Oetker UK, baking ingredient manufacturer).
After 8 weeks, the baking powder slowly loses its punch. Test a teaspoon of your homemade mix with a splash of vinegar — if it fizzes vigorously, it’s still active (Top With Cinnamon blog).
The pattern: freshness matters more than precision. A freshly made batch using any of the trusted ratios will outperform a stale store-bought tin.
Confirmed facts
- Baking powder is the standard leavening agent for self-raising flour (Dr. Oetker UK, baking ingredient manufacturer).
- 1 tsp baking powder per 100g plain flour works reliably (Dr. Oetker UK, baking ingredient manufacturer).
- 2 tsp baking powder per 150g flour works reliably (Nigella Lawson, cookbook author).
- Baking soda requires an acid to activate (King Arthur Baking, flour and baking supplier).
- Homemade self-raising flour stores up to 8 weeks (Dr. Oetker UK, baking ingredient manufacturer).
What’s unclear
- Whether salt should always be added — King Arthur includes it, UK sources omit.
- Optimal storage life — some sources suggest 3 months, others 6; Dr. Oetker says 8 weeks.
- Whether US self-rising flour and UK self-raising flour are interchangeable without adjusting salt.
“Mix 100g plain flour with 1 tsp baking powder.”
“Add 2 teaspoons of baking powder for each 150g/6oz/1 cup plain flour.”
“Self-rising flour is a combination of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.”
If you’re baking a Pastel de Nata: Guide to Authentic Portuguese Custard Tarts or a Christmas Crack Recipe, using homemade self-raising flour gives you control over freshness and salt levels. For the home baker, the choice is clear: measure accurately, sift, and use within two months, or accept the risk of a flat crumb and a faded rise.
It is essential to understand how plain flour and all-purpose flour compare before adding baking powder and salt to create your own self-raising blend.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use self-raising flour instead of plain flour in a recipe?
Yes, but reduce or omit the baking powder and salt that the recipe calls for, since self-raising flour already contains them. King Arthur Baking advises that if the recipe uses more than 1 tsp baking powder per cup of flour, you may need to add extra baking powder (King Arthur Baking, flour and baking supplier).
How long does homemade self-raising flour last?
Dr. Oetker UK recommends using homemade self-raising flour within 8 weeks if stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place (Dr. Oetker UK, baking ingredient manufacturer). Other sources suggest up to 3–6 months, but the leavening power diminishes over time.
What is the difference between self-rising flour (US) and self-raising flour (UK)?
US self-rising flour typically contains added salt (about ¼ tsp per cup), while UK self-raising flour usually does not. King Arthur Baking’s substitute includes ¼ tsp table salt per cup (King Arthur Baking, flour and baking supplier). Nigella.com also notes that US versions add around ½ tsp salt per cup (Nigella Lawson, cookbook author).
Do I need to add salt to homemade self-raising flour?
Only if you are replicating the US-style self-rising flour. For British recipes, salt is usually added separately in the recipe. King Arthur Baking adds ¼ tsp per cup (King Arthur Baking, flour and baking supplier).
Can I make self-raising flour with gluten-free flour?
Yes, use gluten-free plain flour as the base and add the same ratio of baking powder. Sift well to combine. King Arthur Baking’s blog covers gluten-free baking (King Arthur Baking, flour and baking supplier).
Why did my self-raising flour not rise correctly?
Possible reasons: expired baking powder, uneven mixing, or too much acid in the batter. Test your baking powder by adding a few drops of vinegar — it should fizz immediately (Top With Cinnamon blog).
How do I store homemade self-raising flour?
Transfer it to an airtight container and store in a cool, dark place (not the refrigerator). Dr. Oetker recommends using within 8 weeks (Dr. Oetker UK, baking ingredient manufacturer).
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