Per the request of my sister Heather, this week’s “Know Your Food” will be on baking soda and baking powder. I don’t necessarily like baking too much, I much prefer to cook (I lack patience for baking!). However, regardless of whether you bake or not, it is still essential that one understands ALL ingredients that are frequently used in the kitchen. I’m no baker, nor am I a chemist, but i stumbled upon an article that helped me understand baking soda and powder. So, with no further ado…
baking soda vs. baking powder
Both are used as leavening agents in baked goods like quick breads, cakes, and cookies. Baking Soda is pure Sodium Bicarbonate and is considered a base. When it is mixed with an acidic ingredient (sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt, honey, brown sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, etc.) it has a chemical reaction that creates bubbles of carbon dioxide. These bubbles, when baked in the oven, expand and cause the bread to rise. Recipes containing baking soda must be placed in the oven immediately, or the product will go flat. Too much baking soda causes the product to be “soapy” tasting.
Baking soda is 4x stronger than baking powder. Baking powder, is similar to soda, as it helps the baked good to rise. However, baking powder contains both a base and an acid (cream of tartar). This allows baking powder to be used in recipes that do not use acidic ingredients, such as milk, water, or eggs. A similar reaction occurs with the powder as it does with the soda, with one exception; there is such thing as “single-acting” and “double-acting”. Single-acting baking powder is activated by moisture and must be baked immediately. Double-acting baking powder reacts in 2 phases: some of the gas is released at room-temp but the majority of the gas that helps the product rise is released as the dough is heated. Double-acting baking powder can stand for 10-15 min at room temperature before putting in the oven. whether your powder is single-acting or double-acting does not change the amount you use, just when you need to get the goods in the oven. Too much baking powder can cause a “bitter” taste and makes the dough rise to quickly and collapse. Too little will cause a poor volume.
When both baking soda and baking powder are both used in a recipe, the baking powder does all the heavy lifting. The soda is used to neutralize the acidic ingredients, and for texture. It is important that with both baking powder and baking soda, that they be added to the dry ingredients first. Adding to the wet ingredients first will cause it to activate, leading to a flat product. Also important to note, is one should not “over-mix” the ingredients, this will cause the bubbles to pop and will not allow the product to rise while in the oven. You can substitute baking powder for baking soda, but not the other way around.
One last thing, mixed with the Sodium Bicarbonate and Cream of Tartar in baking powder, is often a starch (a drying agent). Corn starch is more than likely used in this. This is a problem, as corn is a GMO. Avoid this if possible. You can make your own baking powder by mixing 1 part baking soda, to 2 parts cream of tartar! Or, look for a powder that does not contain cornstarch. To learn more about GMOs, visit the Non-GMO Project’s website!
Elizabeth Horn 