notbob wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On 2017-09-23, Janet > wrote:
>
> >> soft flour. Sounds like it might be pastry flour (or Wht Lilly or
> Martha >> Wht) flour. Yes? No?
>
> I don't know where I got the "self-rising" from. Perhaps it's cuz I
> can buy self-rising White Lily at my local sprmkt. I gotta buy 10
> lbs (plus shipping) of White Lily from Smuckers to get non-rising
> flour.
>
> The link from Paul Hollywood says:
>
> "Plain flour is usually a soft flour and is best for cakes and
> pastries as it has less gluten, and therefore makes a softer dough."
>
> This is pastry flour or White Lily or Martha White flour. Both the
> last two are soft wheat flours, which are lower in gluten than yer
> typical AP flour. I now jes buy organic pastry flour from my health
> food store (HFS).
>
> BTW, I now see where I got the idea of "self-rising". Paul Hollywood
> links to what a "strong white bread flour" includes this quote:
>
> "Typical ingredients include wheat flour, water, salt and yeast."
>
> That "yeast" ingredient is a "self-rising" addition.
>
> So, it sounds like PH's link fer "strong white bread flour" is to an
> all-purpose flour (APF) that may --or may not-- be "self-rising".
>
> nb

Thats interesting! Could be regional as well. All the 'self rising'
flours I know of add baking powder/soda to make it 'self rising' and
shelf stable.

My husband gets it in small 1lb bags to bread things.

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