Regular flour comes in two main varieties: all-purpose (medium protein) and bread flour (high protein). Protein = gluten. Gluten = chewiness.
Self-rising flour is almost always made from soft wheat, which has lower protein. That means less gluten, so your baked goods stay tender. A biscuit should not taste like a rubber band.
So if you use regular all-purpose flour in a biscuit recipe without adjusting, you’ll get a hockey puck. Hard, dense, and sad. Self-rising flour gives you that pillowy, melt-in-your-mouth texture we all crave.
