Bisquick Vs Self Rising Flour: What’s The Difference?

bisquick vs self rising flour

What if there is no self-rising flour left on the shelves, but you need some to bake your biscuits? Then, you come across some packages of Bisquick and wonder whether you can use it instead. 

So, Bisquick vs self-rising flour, in which aspects do they differ? Find out the most important differences between these two in our article to make your final decision. 

Quick Summary

Similarities: 

  • Ingredients: Flour, baking powder, salt 
  • Usage: In sweet and savory recipes (biscuits, pancake, muffins, pizza, etc.)

Differences: 

  • Bisquick: Contain hydrogenated vegetable oil
  • Self-rising flour: No fat included

Related: Types of flour and their uses

What Is Bisquick?

Bisquick is a popular baking product from Betty Crocker, which belongs to General Mills (GM). Carl Smith, its sales executive, first created this mix after learning how to make biscuits from the mill’s cook in the 1930s. 

Yet, because the original pre-mixed blend contained baking powder, flour, salt, and lard, which requires storage in the fridge, it could not be stored at room temperature. 

Thus, to innovate this blend, Crocker proposed the idea of replacing lard with hydrogenated oil, allowing Betty Crocker’s product to be safe even without a refrigerator. Crocker’s idea was turned into actual products on the market in 1931. This product from General Mills quickly became popular and has continued to be one of the best-sellers ever since then. 

Today, the modern version of Bisquick is made from a mixture of leavening, flour, hydrogenated vegetable shortening, salt, a little bit of sugar, and preservatives. Also, besides biscuits, Bisquick has become many people’s favorite ingredients for many dishes, for example, pancakes, dumplings, and cookies. 

What Is Bisquick Used For?

As said, today’s Bisquick is not only utilized to bake beautiful biscuits. Indeed, it has been used for several sweet and savory recipes such as waffles, crepes, pancakes, sausage balls, casseroles, or pot pies. 

Betty Crocker, the brand of Bisquick, has shared a ton of recipes using Bisquick on the website. Hence, you can refer to its homepage, Bisquick Recipes, to find the inspiration to create tasty food with this famous variety of flour. 

What Is Self-Rising Flour?

Self-rising flour, different from Bisquick, does not have any hydrogenated vegetable shortening. Instead, it is made from salt, flour, and baking powder. With this recipe, it becomes capable of causing baked goods to rise even without any additional ingredients. 

Yet, similar to Bisquick, this one was first invented to simplify the baking task. Now, using it, bakers only need to purchase one single product to serve as many flavorful dishes as they want. The most popular desserts that utilize this type are namely biscuits, muffins, and pancakes.

Therefore, these characteristics of Bisquick and self-rising flour can confuse several home cooks. Apparently, besides the fact that both are essential ingredients to bake impressively delicious desserts, they also shorten the baking process for everyone. 

The only way to differentiate between these two is to look at their ingredients. For example, Bisquick, containing hydrogenated oil, is a more complete mixture for baking, whereas choosing self-rising flour, you may need to add some oil or fat to your batter. 

Main Things to Know

All-purpose flour is usually made from hard red wheat or a mixture of hard and soft wheat at the ratio of 8:2. As its name implies, all-purpose flour is pretty versatile. It is suitable for baked goods such as muffins and biscuits. Also, you can use it to thicken the sauces for the main dish or coat meat before frying. 

In comparison, self-rising flour consists of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. This difference in the recipe makes it more favorable when baking pancakes, biscuits, or muffins. 

Moreover, since the percentage of wheat in 1 cup of all-purpose flour is much higher than the similar quantity of self-rising flour, the former presents you with a bit more protein, which eventually developing more gluten. Thus, its final product may not be as tender. 

Yet, with some familiarities in the recipe, it is safe if sometimes you substitute between these two. Just consider the amount of salt and baking powder used according to the recipe. 

Unfortunately, replacing all-purpose flour with self-rising flour is not recommended if you coat some chicken or pork for fries. Because of the baking powder, the coating may “rise” unexpectedly while frying. As a result, you may receive undesirably crunchy and oily chickens rather than nicely crispy ones. 

How To Make Self-Rising Flour

Due to the simple recipe, it is pretty effortless to blend self-raising flour at home, especially if you already have a package of all-purpose flour ready in the kitchen. 

To make this variety, you should prepare, of course, a big pack of all-purpose flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and a whisk. 

So, with 1 cup of all-purpose flour, utilize 6 grams of baking powder and around 1 gram of salt. After pouring all into one big bowl, use the whisk to combine them well together. Then, the mix is ready for use. 

If you often take advantage of this, it is suggested to compose a big batch of self-rising flour beforehand so that you can use it right away in the future. Start with 907 grams of all-purpose flour. Then combine them with 23 grams of baking powder and 5 grams of salt. 

In case you want to make a bigger batch, feel free to use any amount of all-purpose flour that you want. Yet, remember the ideal ratio. This will help your homemade product to become as perfect as the one sold in supermarkets. 

What Is Self-Rising Flour Used For?

The flour is usually used for baked goods. Some of the most popular recipes that take advantage of this flour are three-ingredient biscuits or pancakes. 

The self-rising capability of the flour allows the two abovementioned dishes to become thick and fluffy. Notably, in the South of the United States, the residents prefer using this product for baking flaky golden biscuits.

Without a doubt, besides biscuits and pancakes, you can also make muffins, bread, and even pizza dough. However, since the overuse of leavening may destroy your wonderful dish, it is vital to warn against using self-rising flour with another leavening agent, for example, yeast or baking soda.

In addition, if you want to replace this product with any other variety of flour, take into consideration other ingredients such as salt and baking powder in the recipe so as not to ruin the taste.

Can You Make Dumplings With Bisquick?

Definitely. If you don’t have much time to spend making dumplings, Bisquick can be an option. It is the perfect mix that can be utilized to create dumplings within a short amount of time. 

Prepare ⅔ cup of milk, then slowly pour them into a bowl of 2-cup Bisquick. Try to combine them as well as possible until the dough can be formed into some small balls. 

The texture of these dumplings is pretty good to cook in soup or stew. Furthermore, even when you have to follow some dietary restrictions, don’t worry. The diet-friendly, healthy version of Bisquick will help you to enjoy dumplings without guilt.

Can You Make Bread With Self-Rising Flour?

Indeed, yes. It is possible to bake some bread with self-rising flour. But, the nature of this flour makes it a bit challenging to create an impressively amazing bread compared to the batter that utilizes yeast.

With the baking powder, your bread will rise quickly at first, yet after that, it will turn out to be denser in the end. Also, it will not rise as much as yeast bread will. 

However, some bread can still perfectly go along with this type of flour, for example, soda bread, scones, or biscuits. In addition, banana bread and tomato basil bread remain tasty even when made from self-rising flour. 

Thus, choose the right type of bread, and you will have a wonderful dish out of this particular flour. 

Is Bisquick The Same As Pancake Mix?

Though both can be used to make pancakes, the answer to this question depends on the specific ingredients of the mix you purchase. If there is no difference between the two, it is reasonable to substitute one for the other. 

Nevertheless, though they have some characteristics in common, some Bisquick and pancake mixes may differ significantly that your food may not turn out to be what you imagine. Hence, it is vital to double-check the ingredient list carefully before any other action is taken.

write 5 faqs about bisquick

How do I make pancakes with Bisquick?

To make pancakes with Bisquick, you will need 1 cup of the baking mix, 1/2 cup of water, and 1 egg. Combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Pour the batter onto a hot griddle and cook until golden brown.

What can I make with Bisquick besides pancakes?

In addition to pancakes, you can also make waffles, biscuits, dumplings, pie crusts, and more with Bisquick.

Where can I buy Bisquick?

Bisquick is available at most grocery stores. You can also purchase it online from various retailers.

Can I make gluten-free Bisquick?

At this time, there is no gluten-free Bisquick available on the market. However, there are a number of gluten-free baking mixes that you can use in place of Bisquick.

What are some of the most popular Bisquick recipes?

Some of the most popular Bisquick recipes include pancakes, waffles, biscuits, ham and cheese pockets, and peach cobbler.

Can I use Bisquick to make savory dishes?

Yes, you can use Bisquick to make savory dishes. Some examples include chicken pot pie, sausage breakfast casserole, and pizza crust.

Can I substitute all-purpose flour for self-rising flour in a recipe?

The answer to this question is a bit complicated. Most recipes that call for self-rising flour can be substituted with all-purpose flour, but you will need to add baking powder and salt to the all-purpose flour mixture. This is because all-purpose flour does not have the leavening agents that are in self-rising flour.

What are some recipes that use self-rising flour?

Some recipes that use self-rising flour include biscuits, scones, pancakes, and waffles.

Tamara Pierce

Tamara Pierce is a food writer at Elapasony, passionate about exploring diverse cuisines and sharing recipes and food experiences. From trendy restaurants to local hotspots, she's always on the lookout for new and exciting flavors.

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