Self-Rising is an exploration of intersections--not only of those between subjects like modern milling, the railroad industry, and flour sack manufacturing but also between advertising, radio programming, home economics, and blues music. This book is an approachable and lively look into the history of food, baking, and the US south.

--Deirdre A. Scaggs, coauthor of Simplicity and Excellence: Elizabeth Kremer from Beaten Biscuits to Shaker Lemon Pie

An engaging culinary history-cookbook with recipes that will make you excited to experiment in your own kitchen. The authors skillfully intertwine the 'rise' of self-rising flour and cornmeal with the scientific discoveries, public health considerations, marketing strategies, and cultural events that brought the convenience of these pantry staples into Southern homes. Self-Rising captures important history in the region, one that even people living in the South are forgetting.

--Johnisha Matthews Levi, author of Number's Up: Cracking the Code of an American Family

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky

Pub date: 2026-06-16

Length: 272 pages