No matter how organised you might think you are, you’ve likely been caught without that one key ingredient you were certain was sitting in the pantry. It usually happens at the worst possible moment – when the oven is already on, the wet ingredients are mixed and the recipe is past the point of no return.

When that missing ingredient is self-raising flour, is there any turning back? Do you have time to run to the shops, or will the plain flour in your pantry do the job?

Well, no, it won’t – but you can make your own self-raising flour from things that we can almost guarantee you already have in your pantry. So, before you cancel afternoon tea, here is a fail-safe baking trick worth knowing.

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What is self-raising flour made of?

Self-raising flour may sound specialised, but it’s simply plain flour mixed with a raising agent (usually baking powder). Once combined with wet ingredients and heat, the baking powder releases carbon dioxide, creating tiny bubbles that cause your batter to expand and rise – hence the name “self-raising”.

While buying self-raising flour pre-made guarantees a perfectly uniform blend, you don’t actually always need to keep a bag on hand. The only catch to making it yourself is ensuring its ingredients are thoroughly combined – a clump of unmixed baking powder in the mix can be the difference between a perfect scone and something that more closely resembles a rock.

Credit: Brett Stevens

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How can you make your own self-raising flour from plain flour?

Making self-raising flour from plain flour is surprisingly quick and easy. To create your own batch, use this ratio:

Add two teaspoons of baking powder for every 150g of plain flour.

The secret to success is to carefully sift the flour and baking powder together. This ensures the baking powder is evenly distributed throughout the flour and eliminates any clumps, which is the key to achieving a consistent bake.

While the process is super simple, it’s always worth doing a quick pantry check before you start mixing. Always check the use-by date on your baking powder; it loses its effectiveness over time, and an expired batch won’t provide enough rise after you’ve gone to all the effort of baking.

And if all else fails, here are some of our favourite flourless cakes!

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