Baking Soda and Baking Powder
Learn the differences between Baking Soda and Baking Powder. How they work and affect your baking. Be a better baker by learning these fundamentals!
Both baking soda and baking powder are leavening agents, which means they are added to baked goods before cooking to produce carbon dioxide and cause them to rise. Baking powder contains baking soda, but the two substances are used under different conditions.
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What is baking soda and baking powder ?
Baking powder and baking soda are both chemical leaveners that work to create light textures in baked pastries . Although baking powder actually contains baking soda, the two leaveners are very different.
1. Baking Soda :
Baking soda is a natural alkaline ingredient activated by liquid and acid. Naturally acidic ingredients that will activate baking soda Like : Buttermilk, Sour cream, Yogurt, Lemon juice, Honey, Cocoa powder, Brown sugar etc.
There must be some acidic ingredient in the recipe for baking soda to function.
Baking soda begins to leaven as soon as it touches liquid so if you wait too long before baking you may notice a decrease in leavening effect. If you use too much baking soda, you may taste an unpleasant metallic flavor in your food. Baking soda also helps by elevating pH levels. Your baking soda must be fresh to work properly, However, baking soda can loose its effectiveness even before the expiration date. So as soon you open it, don’t store it for too long.
Test for freshness of baking soda :
Placing 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a bowl and pour 1 teaspoon of vinegar on top. If the baking soda immediately bubbles , it is fresh. If nothing happens, discard it & buy a new one.
When to Use Baking Soda :
Due to baking soda needs to mix with acid to create carbon dioxide, you will commonly find it in recipes featuring a prominent acidic ingredient such as cocoa powder or buttermilk. Think of the classic childhood volcano project when you mix baking soda with vinegar. That’s essentially what’s happening inside the batter to create the expansion. Baking soda also promotes browning, making it an excellent choice for recipes that benefit from it, like classic chocolate chip cookies.
2. Baking Powder :
Baking powder is a combination of baking soda, acid, and cornstarch. Most baking powder available in the market today are double acting & single acting. Unlike baking soda, baking powder doesn’t require an acid to activate, only moisture.
Test for freshness :
Scoop 1 teaspoon of baking powder into a 1 cup of very hot water . If it bubbles up, the baking powder is fresh. If nothing happens, discard it.
When to Use Baking Powder :
The fact that baking powder already contains an acid, it is used in recipes where an acid is not a significant ingredient. Most store-bought baking powders will be labeled “double acting,” meaning they start to activate once they touch a liquid and again when heat is applied. You will see it solo in vanilla cake recipes, for instance, which use regular milk for moisture and the heat of the oven to activate the baking powder.
Baking soda and baking powder Strength
It’s important to understand that baking soda is four times stronger than baking powder. This means 1 teaspoon of baking powder will raise a cup of flour, whereas only a ¼ teaspoon of baking soda can produce the same effect.
Some recipes call for both baking soda and baking powder in order to have the highest effect of acid neutralizing and leavening powers.
Why Do Some Recipes Call for Both Baking Soda and Baking Powder ?
There are three general instances in which a recipe will call for both baking soda and baking powder:
If the baking soda successfully neutralizes the acid but doesn’t create enough carbon dioxide to leaven the batter completely, then baking powder is used for extra lift.
If the recipe calls for acidic ingredients specifically for their flavor (like lemon juice or buttermilk), too much baking soda would completely neutralize that flavor. Using both baking soda and baking powder will leave enough acid to give the final product a tangy flavor, while providing a nice lift.
Baked goods brown better in highly alkaline environments. In order to better brown, baking soda is added to recipes where baking powder is the main leavening agent, to create a more alkaline environment.
Best Way to Store Baking Soda and Baking Powder
Baking powder and baking soda should be kept away from the stove, dishwasher, sink, and other sources of moisture in a dry cabinet. Any moisture or humidity in the air will cause the baking powder to react in the can, and any acidity in the water will cause the baking soda to react as well.
Summary Of Baking Soda and Baking Powder
So, in short: Baking soda and baking powder are discrete ingredients with the same primary objective—making your baked goods light and fluffy—that they accomplish in different ways depending on the recipe. They can’t be substituted for each another, and most of the time, they can work as a team, supporting each other. If you take one thing from this article, it should be that if you ever see both on an ingredient list and wonder if you really have to go back to the store to pick up another box of the one you ran out of, the answer is, forever and always: Yes.
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