These days, bakers are spoiled for choice when it comes to the wide variety of available flour. From classic all-purpose to gluten-free mixes and whole grain options, it’s easy to get confused — especially when you learn that some of these flours have variations used for specific purposes. Such is the case with all-purpose (AP) flour versus self-rising flour. Both types of flour are white in color and ground from wheat, but they share key differences. This means using self-rising flour in your favorite chewy coconut chocolate chip cookies isn’t as simple as a 1:1 swap.
The two biggest differences between AP flour and self-rising flour are the texture and additional ingredients. Both are smooth and powdery, but AP flour is a little denser and heavier than self-rising because it’s milled from a harder type of wheat. Some self-rising flour is bleached (chemically lightened) as well. That means self-rising flour usually produces lighter, more tender cookies than AP. For this reason, self-rising flour is often the secret ingredient to softer biscuits, much like buttermilk. Self-rising varieties also contain a specific ratio of baking powder and salt.
So, if you’re preparing to make a batch of bakery-style peanut butter cookies and find you grabbed self-rising instead of AP, it may actually be a blessing in disguise. While this lighter flour may cause your cookies to spread more in the oven, they’ll also produce a delectably soft, chewy texture you may find you like better. However, for the best possible results, you’ll need to know how to modify your recipe correctly.
How to sub self-rising flour for AP in your cookies
As mentioned, the most obvious difference between AP flour and self-rising is the addition of salt and baking powder to self-rising varieties, with most brands containing the equivalent of about 1 teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour. That means if your cookie recipe calls for 2 cups of flour and 2 teaspoons of baking powder, you can omit the baking powder, as the self-rising flour already contains the right amount.
However, if your recipe calls for 2 cups of flour and 3 teaspoons of baking powder, you’ll need to subtract the amount of baking powder in the flour to determine how much you actually need to add to your recipe. In this example, you’d only need to add 1 teaspoon of baking powder to your cookies, since the 2 cups of flour also contain 2 teaspoons of baking powder. Since baking is a science that requires precise measurements, it may be best to do the math ahead of time and notate your recipe accordingly to avoid adding too much leavening, which can make your cookies taste bitter and ruin their texture.
You’ll also need to account for self-rising flour’s salt content when swapping it for AP. However, salt doesn’t really serve a chemical purpose in cookies — its main role is to enhance flavors and make baked goods taste sweeter. That means you don’t need to measure it precisely and can simply omit it when you’re using self-rising flour.
