Self-rising flour is flour mixed with salt and yeast, used in baking for its leavening properties. It is lower in protein and can make baked goods lighter and fluffier. It can be used in regular recipes by reducing or omitting added leavening and salt. The yeast activates with moisture, so baked goods must be placed in the oven quickly.
Self-rising flour is flour that has been mixed with salt and yeast, so the flour comes up with its own leavening. This type of flour is especially popular in the American South, where it’s commonly used in cookies, cakes, and various dessert items, but can be found all over the world. Basically, the distinguishing feature of self-rising flour is the addition of leavening, which cuts one step out of food preparation.
Because self-rising flour is often used in bakeries, it is typically lower in protein than other types of flour. This has an impact on the behavior of the flour. Foods made from self-rising flour tend to be lighter, fluffier, and more crumbly. This can be a disadvantage for loaves, depending on the type of bread you are trying to make. Some cooks swear by self-rising flour, claiming it produces the most tender and light baked goods.
This flour may also be slightly saltier than people might expect. Self-rising flour can turn a slightly bitter and salty recipe, especially if a cook forgets and adds salt. Conveniently, self-rising flour is also sifted, so it has a very smooth and uniform texture.
Some recipes specifically call for self-rising flour, in which case the recipe may not include added leavening or salt, as these ingredients are already present. This flour can also be used in many regular recipes, provided cooks reduce or omit the added leavening and salt. Yeast breads can also be made with self-rising flour, depending on the recipe, although some experimentation may be required to hang things right.
If you have a recipe that calls for self-rising flour and you don’t have any lying around, you’ll need to add salt and baking powder to the recipe for it to come out right. You may also see recipes that call for self-rising cake flour, a low-protein, light flour that has been blended with leavening. In these cases it is possible to use a normal cake flour with the addition of yeast instead.
One thing to keep in mind when using self-rising flour is that the yeast activates as soon as it’s exposed to moisture. This means that baked goods must be placed in the oven as soon as possible after mixing the wet and dry ingredients, because otherwise the food will rise out of the oven and collapse when it enters the oven. This is also a danger with any type of quick riser food made with baking soda or baking powder, so if you’ve had problems with flattened cookies or saggy cakes, that could explain your problem.
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