How to Make Self-Rising Flour from Freshly Milled Flour

Making self-rising flour from freshly milled flour starts with knowing which wheat to reach for and how the leavening ratio works with whole-grain flour. This 60/40 blend of hard and soft white wheat behaves differently from refined flour, and getting that ratio right is what makes the difference between biscuits that rise and ones that don’t.

For more on choosing the right wheat berry for this blend, Best Whole Grains to Mill covers hard and soft wheat varieties in detail, All-Purpose Flour from Freshly Milled Flour walks through the AP blend for comparison, and Converting Recipes to Freshly Milled Flour covers hydration adjustments.

Do you want to learn more about freshly milled flour? The Cottage Mill is filled with guides and resources to walk you through recipe conversions, flour blends, and techniques to help you bake with more consistency.

A wooden flour mill dispensing freshly ground flour into a glass bowl in a cozy kitchen with copper utensils.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

One ratio covers every bake – the 60/40 blend of hard white and soft white wheat produces a self-rising flour that works in biscuits, pancakes, quick breads, muffins, and waffles without needing a separate blend for each recipe type.
Three batch sizes in one recipe card – whether you need one cup for a quick weeknight bake or five cups to stock the pantry for the week, the recipe card scales all three batch sizes so you are never doing the math yourself.
Sifted or unsifted, both work – a #40 or #50 sieve produces a lighter, more delicate crumb for biscuits and cakes, and skipping the sieve gives you a heartier, more rustic result for pancakes and quick breads; both methods are covered here.
The leavening ratio is locked in – 1½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt per 120 grams of flour is the tested ratio that works consistently across every recipe type this blend is used in.
Pairs with your existing recipes – no special fresh milled flour recipes needed; this blend drops into any recipe calling for self-rising flour with one small hydration adjustment covered in this guide.

Top-down view of freshly milled flour in a wooden bowl labeled hard white and soft white blend, with small bowls of baking powder and salt, whole wheat berries in a wooden scoop, and wheat stalks arranged on a linen cloth over a lace tablecloth

Ingredients

Hard white wheat berries, 60 percent of the blend – provides the gluten strength and structure that self-rising flour needs to rise and hold its shape in biscuits, quick breads, and pancakes; hard white wheat produces a milder flavor and lighter color than hard red wheat, making it the go-to for most self-rising flour applications.
Soft white wheat berries, 40 percent of the blend – lowers the overall protein content of the blend and adds tenderness to the finished bake; soft white wheat is what keeps biscuits soft and pancakes light rather than chewy and dense.
Baking powder – the leavening agent that gives self-rising flour its lift; use 1½ teaspoons per 120 grams of flour and check that your baking powder is fresh before mixing; a small spoonful stirred into hot water should fizz actively if it is still working.
Salt – balances the flavor of the blend and supports the baking powder; use ¼ teaspoon per 120 grams of flour.
Cornstarch or tapioca starch – optional addition that lowers protein content slightly further and produces a more delicate crumb in cakes and biscuits; replace one to two teaspoons of flour per cup with one teaspoon of cornstarch or tapioca starch if you want a silkier finished texture.

The hopper of a wooden grain mill filled with golden wheat berries, with a bowl of freshly milled flour placed beside it on a checkered cloth.

Variations & Add-Ins

Hard red and soft red wheat swap – replace hard white and soft white wheat with hard red and soft red wheat at the same 60/40 ratio by weight for a deeper, nuttier flavor that works well in rustic biscuits, cornbread-style quick breads, and heartier pancakes.
Baking soda version – if you are out of baking powder, use ¼ teaspoon of baking soda plus ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar per cup of flour in place of the 1½ teaspoons of baking powder; this produces a slightly different rise but works well in most self-rising flour recipes.
Sifted version for lighter bakes – run the freshly milled flour through a #40 or #50 sieve before adding the leavening agents; this removes a portion of bran and produces a lighter, more delicate crumb in biscuits and cakes; remember to mill 30 to 50 percent more grain before starting to account for bran removal.
Bulk pantry batch – scale the recipe to five cups using the bulk batch measurements in the recipe card; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week or freeze for up to three months for a ready-to-use self-rising blend whenever you need it.

Recipe Tips

Check your baking powder before mixing – baking powder loses strength over time, and a weak leavening agent is the most common reason self-rising flour bakes come out flat; stir a small spoonful into hot water before mixing the blend, if it fizzes actively, it is still working.

Whisk the leavening agents thoroughly – baking powder and salt need to be evenly distributed throughout the flour before the blend goes into any recipe; uneven mixing produces flat spots and inconsistent rise in biscuits and quick breads.

Sift before adding leavening, not after – if you plan to sift, run the flour through the sieve first and then weigh and add the baking powder and salt; sifting after the leavening is added can remove some of the baking powder along with the bran.

Add liquid gradually in batters and doughs – freshly milled flour absorbs liquid more slowly than refined flour; start with the original liquid amount in your recipe, rest five to ten minutes, and add liquid one tablespoon at a time if the batter or dough still feels too thick; for full hydration guidance, read this guide: Converting Recipes to Freshly Milled Flour.

Store the blend separately from plain flour – label every container clearly with the blend name, wheat variety, sieve size if sifted, and date mixed; self-rising flour and plain fresh milled flour look identical in a jar and mixing them up throws off an entire recipe.

Use within one to two weeks at room temperature – freshly milled flour contains natural oils from the bran and germ that go rancid faster than refined flour; for longer storage, refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze for up to six months; read this guide: How to Store Freshly Milled Flour for full guidance.

A white bowl of freshly milled soft white wheat flour is placed above a bowl of whole soft white wheat berries. The bowls are arranged on a delicate lace tablecloth with decorative stalks of wheat lying to the side.

A white bowl filled with finely milled hard white wheat flour sits above a second bowl filled with whole hard white wheat berries. Both bowls rest on a vintage white lace tablecloth, surrounded by stalks of golden wheat with dark heads.

Instructions

Choose your wheat and calculate how much to mill – for every 1 cup (120 grams) of finished self-rising flour blend, you need, plan to use 72 grams of hard white wheat berries and 48 grams of soft white wheat berries; if you plan to sift, mill 30 to 50 percent more grain before starting to account for bran removal.
Mill on the finest setting – run the hard white wheat and soft white wheat berries through your grain mill separately on the finest setting; milling them separately gives you better control over the final blend ratio and produces a more even grind throughout.
Sift if using that method – run the freshly milled flour through a #40 or #50 sieve to remove a portion of bran for a lighter, more delicate crumb; set the sifted bran aside for muffins, pancakes, or sourdough rather than discarding it.
Weigh the finished flour – weigh the milled and sifted flour to confirm your final amount; 120 grams equals one cup; adjust by milling and sifting a small additional amount if you are short.
Add the leavening agents – for every 120 grams of flour add 1½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt; sprinkle evenly over the flour before whisking so the leavening distributes throughout the blend without clumping.
Add starch if using – remove one to two teaspoons of flour and replace with one teaspoon of cornstarch or tapioca starch for a slightly more delicate crumb in biscuits and cakes; whisk together thoroughly before using.
Whisk until fully combined – whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and optional starch together until the blend is completely uniform; a consistent blend prevents flat spots and uneven rise in finished bakes.
Use now or store – Use the blend the same day for the freshest baking performance. If storing, transfer to an airtight container labeled with the blend name, wheat variety, sieve size if sifted, and date mixed. Store at room temperature for up to 2 to 3 days, in the refrigerator for 4 to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Bring to room temperature before baking for the most consistent results.
Use in any self-rising flour recipe – drop this blend into any recipe calling for self-rising flour using the same cup measurement; start with the original liquid amount, rest five to ten minutes, and adjust hydration gradually if the batter or dough feels too thick after resting.

A golden-brown loaf of homemade pumpkin bread, sliced to reveal its soft, moist crumb, styled with mini pumpkins and lace in a cozy autumn setting.

A Recipe Using Self Rising FMF Flour

This is a Pumpkin Bread made with self-rising, freshly milled flour blend.

Storage

Room temperature storage — the finished self-rising blend keeps at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 to 3 days. Label the container with the blend name, wheat variety, whether it was sifted, and the date mixed.
Refrigerator storage — for slightly longer storage, keep the self-rising blend in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 7 days. Bring to room temperature before using for the most consistent results in batters and doughs.
Freezer storage — the finished self-rising blend freezes well in an airtight freezer-safe container or bag for up to 6 months. Portion into recipe-sized amounts before freezing so you can pull exactly what you need without thawing the entire batch.
Store separately from plain flour — self-rising flour and plain freshly milled flour look identical in a jar. Label clearly with the blend name and leavening amounts so there is no confusion when you reach for a jar mid-bake.
Check leavening freshness before storing a bulk batch — baking powder loses potency over time. If you are making a large bulk batch to store, make sure your baking powder is fresh before mixing so the entire batch rises reliably when you use it weeks later.

For complete short and long-term storage guidance for freshly milled flour, see How to Store Freshly Milled Flour.

A Cottage Milling Note

I’ve been milling my own grains since the late 1990s, and I still remember the first time I learned how simple it was to make flour blends from freshly milled flour in my own kitchen. That discovery changed my baking forever.

My Grandmaw Nub always said the best baking starts with the simplest ingredients, and that wisdom rings true every time I reach for freshly milled wheat. This is the same method I use in my own cottage kitchen, and it’s the one I love teaching home millers like you.

Once you try it, you’ll see just how easy and rewarding it is to create your own cake & pastry flour, all-purpose flour, bread flour blends, and self-rising flour at home.

FAQ

Mill hard white wheat and soft white wheat at a 60/40 ratio, weigh out 120 grams per cup needed, and whisk in 1½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt per cup. Sift with a #40 or #50 sieve first if you want a lighter, more delicate crumb in biscuits and cakes.

The most common reasons are old baking powder, uneven mixing of the leavening agents, or adding too much liquid too soon. Test your baking powder in hot water before mixing the blend, whisk thoroughly so the leavening distributes evenly, and add liquid gradually after a five to ten minute rest rather than all at once.

Use the same cup measurement as the recipe calls for and start with the original liquid amount. Rest the batter or dough for five to ten minutes before adjusting anything, then add liquid one tablespoon at a time if it still feels too thick. For a full conversion guide, read this post: Converting Recipes to Freshly Milled Flour.

Yes, and the 60/40 hard white and soft white wheat blend in this guide is a whole wheat self-rising flour. The bran and germ stay intact unless you sift, which gives the finished bake a heartier texture than refined self-rising flour. Sifting with a #40 or #50 sieve brings the texture closer to refined self-rising flour while keeping the character of fresh milled grain.

At room temperature in an airtight container, the blend keeps for up to 2 to 3 days. Refrigerated in an airtight container, it keeps for 4 to 7 days. Frozen in an airtight freezer-safe container or bag, it keeps for up to 6 months. Label with the blend name, wheat variety, and date mixed, and check that your baking powder is fresh before storing a bulk batch.

The 60/40 ratio of hard to soft wheat is the most reliable starting point for biscuits, pancakes, and quick breads because it balances structure from the hard wheat with tenderness from the soft wheat. Once you are comfortable with the blend, you can experiment with red wheats for a deeper, nuttier flavor at the same ratio, or adjust slightly toward more soft wheat for a more delicate crumb in cakes.

Yes, replace the 1½ teaspoons of baking powder with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda plus ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar per cup of flour. This produces a slightly different rise but works well in most self-rising flour recipes when baking powder is not available.

Yes, the bulk batch option in the recipe card scales to five cups. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 to 3 days, in the refrigerator for 4 to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Make sure your baking powder is fresh before mixing a large batch so the entire batch rises reliably when you use it.

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Close-up of a woman in a peach blouse smiling and leaning against a kitchen counter, with fresh flour and wheat berries visible beside her.

Emily Rider

Home miller since 1999 with fresh-milled flour & sourdough experience. Sharing from-scratch recipes and traditional kitchen skills, rooted in the seasons and inspired by everyday cottage living and seasonal rhythms.

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