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You are here: Home / Recipes / Baking / Bread Recipes / Easy Self-Raising Flour Bread

Easy Self-Raising Flour Bread

Published on March 9, 2021 by Helen Best-Shaw 14 Comments
Last Updated on November 17, 2021

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Loaf of self rising bread

My self raising flour bread is one of the easiest no yeast breads you could ever make, producing a delicious loaf in less than an hour with very little effort and just four ingredients.

Perfect for anyone who needs a fresh loaf in a hurry, easy enough for all for new bakers! 

A loaf of self raising flour bread on a breadboard, surrounded by 2 bowls of soup and a board

Everything You Need To Know

  • Self raising flour bread
  • Why make this self raising flour bread 
  • What is self raising flour?
  • Ingredients for self raising flour bread
  • How to make self raising flour bread
  • Self Raising Flour Bread – FAQs, Hints and Tips
    • What happens if you add yeast to self raising flour? 
    • Can I use bread flour? 
    • Can I make a vegan self raising flour bread?
    • Can I make this gluten free? 
    • Can I freeze self raising flour bread?
    • Can I make self raising flour bread using cup measures?
  • Troubleshooting – mistakes to avoid
  • Serving suggestions
  • Self Raising Flour Bread

Self raising flour bread

Can self raising flour be used for bread? Yes, absolutely! The resulting bread is a lovely rustic loaf that you can rustle up with just four ingredients. 

This self raising flour bread recipe produces a no yeast loaf that is similar to soda bread but without that slightly bitter taste, using regular everyday flour – no need for strong bread flour! 

It’s perfect for a quick lunch, delicious warm and fresh from the oven slathered with butter. Make it whenever you run out of your usual bread or when you want something fresh to serve to unexpected guests.

This sort of bread doesn’t last long in our home, but if you have any left over, slice and toast it the next day.   

Why make this self raising flour bread 

  • It’s quick and easy.
  • No kneading.
  • No yeast.
  • No rising/proving time needed. Just mix, shape and bake. 
  • Just four ingredients, and one of those is optional!

What is self raising flour?

Self raising flour is just plain flour with added raising agents – usually sodium bicarbonate and calcium phosphate, which are the active ingredients of baking powder. By By using a mix of these two ingredients you don’t need to add something acidic to get a loaf or bake to rise.

If you baking with baking soda as the only raising agent you need to add something acidic to react with the baking soda so the mixture rises.  This is why you need (acidic) buttermilk to make a soda bread. 

Ingredients for self raising flour bread

Ingredients for self raising flour bread - white self raising flour, salt, milk, and olive oil.

Only four ingredients! 

  • White self raising flour – This needs to be reasonably fresh and not out of date for this bread recipe. If your flour has been in the cupboard too long, the raising agents may have oxidised and won’t work. Make scones, cakes etc. to use flour while it is still in date. Treat yourself!  We are not using bread flour for this recipe! 
  • Salt – Ordinary cooking salt, or if you prefer, posh sea salt. 
  • Milk – Full, semi skimmed or skimmed, dairy or plant based. Fresh or made up from dried powder! It doesn’t matter. Just use what you have.
  • Oil – This makes the loaf last longer and is optional! Bread is best enjoyed fresh, though. This loaf is best fresh from the oven, or toasted on day 2.

How to make self raising flour bread

Mixing salt into self raising flour for bread.

Step 1 – Gather your ingredients. Heat the oven to 190°C Fan (210°C regular) / 375°F /Gas Mark 6. Put a baking sheet or stone in the oven to heat. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.

Mixing the ingredients for self raising flour bread, in a glass bowl.

Step 2 – Add the milk and oil, and mix the ingredients in the bowl until they come together into a rough dough.

Briefly kneading self raising flour dough to bring all the ingredients together.

Step 3 – Turn the dough out onto the work surface and give it a very quick knead until smooth. It doesn’t need a lot of work.

Forming self raising flour dough into a round, flat pancake about 2.5cm or 1 inch thick.

Step 4 – Form into a flat disc, no more than about 1½”/3 cm thick. Important! Your dough must not be too thick. If it is, the bread won’t rise or bake through properly.

A collage showing a loaf of self raising flour bread ready to bake. The cut through the loaf goes most of the way though.

Step 5 – Score the top in a deep cross, cutting most of the way through the dough. As you can see, it’s formed into a round pancake, about 1½” (3 cm) thick, and deeply scored with a cross across the top.

Put the dough on a silicone baking sheet or piece of baking parchment. Then place in the oven on the hot baking stone or sheet and cook for about 35 minutes. The bread will still be quite pale once cooked. Don’t expect, or wait for it to be golden brown.

Baked self raising flour bread cooling down on a rack. The loaf has risen considerably!

Step 6 – The bread will rise as it cooks. Check the bread is cooked by flipping it off the baking sheet and giving it a tap. If it is done, it will sound hollow. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool enough to enjoy! 

Self Raising Flour Bread – FAQs, Hints and Tips

What happens if you add yeast to self raising flour? 

There’s no point in trying this, as you don’t leave the dough to rise. This is a no yeast bread. 

Can I use bread flour? 

Self raising flour is usually everyday flour for baking pastry, cakes etc.  It is a different product from bread flour which has a higher amount of gluten.  

Can I make a vegan self raising flour bread?

Absolutely yes! Use your favourite soy or nut milk.

Can I make this gluten free? 

Sadly not – I have tried with a straight swap to gluten free flour and it wasn’t successful. Let me know if you manage it. 

Can I freeze self raising flour bread?

Yes, this self raising flour bread freezes well. I like to slice it, wrap in a plastic bag, freeze, then toast from frozen.

Can I make self raising flour bread using cup measures?

Yes! But never mix cups and metric measurements. I have included conversions in the recipe below, but please check using your favourite trusted conversion tool. I scale my conversions to give rounded numbers so the amounts are never a direct conversion. 

Having said that, I recommend buying kitchen scales. They are inexpensive and will result in far better baking as they are so much more accurate than using cups. Once you get used to them, weighing ingredients will become second nature.

A top down picture of two wedges and half a loaf of self raising flour bread. The bread, on a board, is surrounded by tomatoes, 2 bowls of soup, and a couple of pieces of cheese.

Troubleshooting – mistakes to avoid

This recipe really works. We have made this loaf successfully many many times. Here are some of the common problems people have how to make sure you avoid them. 

  • The measurements are wrong – I always weigh my ingredients, cup conversions are not always accurate. If the dough is too dry, add more liquid. If the dough is too wet, add more flour. 
  • The dough is over-handled – it needs a light touch and gentle shaping. 
  • The dough is too thick and hasn’t been scored. Those score marks are not just for decoration. The bread will not rise and it will not cook in the middle without them. 
  • The oven is at the wrong temperature. Too hot and the outside will burn before the inside is cooked. Too cool and the bread won’t rise. Most oven thermostats are inaccurate and will be consistently too hot or too cold. If you plan on baking more than once a month, buy an oven thermometer and adjust the thermostat to reflect the real temperature.
  • Your flour had been in the cupboard for too long and the raising agent had gone off.  Self raising flour lasts well, but it will eventually go stale. 

Serving suggestions

Because the loaf doesn’t have much time to rise, your no yeast bread will never have a particularly light texture. This self raising flour soda bread style recipe will always result in a hearty, rustic loaf that’s at its best fresh from the oven and dripping with butter.

Close up of self raising flour bread on a board, with butter melting into the bread. Surrounding the loaf is
Tried this recipe?If you try this recipe please tag #FussFreeFlavours on Instagram or Twitter. It is amazing for me when for me when you make one of my recipes and I really do love to see them. You can also share it on my Facebook page. Please pin this recipe to Pinterest too! Thanks for reading Fuss Free Flavours!
A close up of 2 wedges of self raising flour bread, ripped from the loaf.
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4.77 from 13 votes

Self Raising Flour Bread

A quick and easy no yeast loaf made from four basic pantry ingredients and on the table in 40 minutes.
Servings: 10 slices
Author: Helen Best-Shaw
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Total Time40 mins
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Ingredients

  • 400 g plain flour (regular white self raising flour)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 250 ml milk
  • 1 tbs oil (optional)
Metric – USA Cups

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 190°C Fan (210°C regular) / 375°F / GM 6. Place a baking stone or heavy baking sheet in the oven to heat.
  • Mix the self raising flour and salt in a large bowl.
  • Add the milk (and oil, if using), and stir together to form a dough.
  • Turn the dough out onto your work surface and knead briefly until the dough has a uniform consistency.
  • Shape the dough into a round disc, about an inch to an inch and a half (about 3 cm) thick. Score the top deeply with an X. This is important! Don't make a round ball of dough as it won't cook in the middle.
  • Bake on the hot stone or baking sheet for about 35 minutes until risen and the crust is hard. (This loaf won't turn a deep gold so don't wait too long to check it.) When ready, it should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Notes

  • Important! We cannot stress enough that the dough needs to be a flat pancake not more than 1.5″ (3 cm) deep when it goes into the oven, or it will not cook properly in the middle.
  • If you don’t have milk, you can make some up with powdered milk, mix up yogurt and water. You can even use water with a spoon of oil or melted butter or spread. 
  • Delicious served freshly baked for breakfast with our homemade Seville orange marmalade
• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.
Nutrition Facts
Self Raising Flour Bread
Amount Per Serving
Calories 180 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Cholesterol 2mg1%
Sodium 244mg11%
Potassium 180mg5%
Carbohydrates 36g12%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 40IU1%
Calcium 77mg8%
Iron 2.2mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Baking
Cuisine: Bread
Keyword: quick bread, Self raising flour bread

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Filed Under: Baking, Bread Recipes, Quick & Easy, Recipes Ingredients: Milk, Oil, salt, self raising flour

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Melanie

    5 stars
    A perfect use of some flour I had in the cupboard. Just lovely while it was fresh, and very moreish. It had a good crusty outside. Delicious.

    Reply
  2. Becca

    5 stars
    I love making bread at home, it always makes me feel like I have achieved something great. This is a great recipe that makes it really easy. A quick and tasty bread.

    Reply
  3. Sally Potter

    5 stars
    Lovely crusty bread with a good flavour, and perfect to have with soup. Great that there is no fussing with yeast.

    Reply
  4. Gail Matthews

    4 stars
    This is a good bread for using on the day. Simple and easy to make. And I do so love homemade bread, party the delicious smell of it.

    Reply
  5. Lynne

    5 stars
    I love how easy this was to make. I’m often out off from making bread due to the whole process of waiting and such. It was deliciously fresh and I feel very proud of myself now.

    Reply
  6. Evie B

    5 stars
    Such a quick method of making bread. I wasn’t sure if i would work, but it is really good tasty bread. Brilliant.

    Reply
  7. Naomi

    5 stars
    This is brilliant, Helen. Absolutely no fussing and the results were very tasty.

    Reply
  8. candy fellows

    4 stars
    I was delighted at the results of this recipe, it makes a good quick and easy loaf. As stated it isn’t a bread to last and I found it dried out very quickly. Great on the day you make it.

    Reply
  9. beverley

    4 stars
    This was a successful loaf of bread, and very easy to make. Obviously different from bread with yeast, but an all round decent make.

    Reply
  10. Daisy Pratt

    5 stars
    I am all for making things as easy as possible and this bread is exactly that. Crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, it makes a delicious bread loaf.

    Reply
  11. Lynette

    Would it work if i made rolls with this?

    Reply
  12. Ariel

    5 stars
    Did not expect this to turn out as good as it did, but as I was short on time and had no plain flour in I decided to try it and was so glad I did! I used olive oil which was optional, and also cooked it on 190 in my halogen oven in case anyone is wondering if it works in there- turned out amazing! Nice and crusty on the outside and soft in the middle- perfect with a winter blended veggie soup. I brushed the top of the loaf with garlic butter once it was cooked which added a nice colour and flavour. Will definitely be making again considering it is so quick and easy! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Helen Best-Shaw

      Love the idea of brushing the top of the bread with garlic butter! yum!

      Reply
  13. El

    5 stars
    This came together quickly and was surprisingly good. We really enjoyed this with our dinner and look forward to having it with jam at breakfast. Saving the recipe to my favorites. Thank you for sharing this quick and easy no fuss bread.

    Reply

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Headshot of Helen Best-Shaw, Food Blogger at Fuss Free Flavours I'm Helen, full time freelance food writer, photographer and blogger. On this site you will find my fuss-free recipes, travel and reviews. Learn more here
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