Baking Powder or Baking Soda? What is the Difference?
Answer: 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.
Baking Soda. Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. This leavening choice will only work in the presence of acid (and moisture). Think vinegar, yogurt, buttermilk, etc.). When baking soda meets acid, it creates a chemical reaction that produces bubbles of carbon dioxide that expand under oven temperatures, causing baked goods to rise. Don't dilly dally when using Baking Soda -- it won't wait on you. The reaction begins immediately upon mixing the ingredients, so bake those recipes that use baking soda immediately, or else they will fall flat! Next time a friend complains that her baked goods fell flat, ask if the recipe called for baking soda and ask if it might have sat for a few minutes after mixing, before baking. Look at you figuring out the secret to why some baked goods "randomly" fail!
Baking Powder. Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) BUT it has an added acidifying agent (cream of tartar), and typically a drying agent (usually starch). Baking powder is available as single-acting baking powder and as double-acting baking powder. Single-acting powders are activated by moisture, so you must bake recipes which include this product immediately after mixing. Double-acting powders react in two phases and can stand for a while before baking. With double-acting powder, some gas is released at room temperature when the powder is added to dough, but the majority of the gas is released after the temperature of the dough increases in the oven.
How Are Recipes Determined?
Some recipes call for baking soda, while others call for baking powder. Which ingredient is used depends on the other ingredients in the recipe. The ultimate goal is to produce a tasty product with a pleasing texture. Baking soda is basic and will yield a bitter taste unless countered by the acidity of another ingredient, such as buttermilk. You'll find baking soda in cookie recipes. Baking powder contains both an acid and a base and has an overall neutral effect in terms of taste. Recipes that call for baking powder often call for other neutral-tasting ingredients, such as milk. Baking powder is a common ingredient in cakes and biscuits.
Substituting in Recipes
You can substitute baking powder in place of baking soda (you'll need more baking powder and it may affect the taste), but don't use baking soda (alone) when a recipe calls for baking powder. If your recipe allows it, sneak in a little vinegar or lemon juice so the Baking soda can work it's magic (think Red Velvet cake -- now you know why it calls for vinegar). Baking soda by itself lacks the acidity to make a cake rise. However, you can make your own baking powder if you have baking soda and cream of tartar. Simply mix two parts cream of tartar with one part baking soda.
Baking Soda. Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. This leavening choice will only work in the presence of acid (and moisture). Think vinegar, yogurt, buttermilk, etc.). When baking soda meets acid, it creates a chemical reaction that produces bubbles of carbon dioxide that expand under oven temperatures, causing baked goods to rise. Don't dilly dally when using Baking Soda -- it won't wait on you. The reaction begins immediately upon mixing the ingredients, so bake those recipes that use baking soda immediately, or else they will fall flat! Next time a friend complains that her baked goods fell flat, ask if the recipe called for baking soda and ask if it might have sat for a few minutes after mixing, before baking. Look at you figuring out the secret to why some baked goods "randomly" fail!
Baking Powder. Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) BUT it has an added acidifying agent (cream of tartar), and typically a drying agent (usually starch). Baking powder is available as single-acting baking powder and as double-acting baking powder. Single-acting powders are activated by moisture, so you must bake recipes which include this product immediately after mixing. Double-acting powders react in two phases and can stand for a while before baking. With double-acting powder, some gas is released at room temperature when the powder is added to dough, but the majority of the gas is released after the temperature of the dough increases in the oven.
How Are Recipes Determined?
Some recipes call for baking soda, while others call for baking powder. Which ingredient is used depends on the other ingredients in the recipe. The ultimate goal is to produce a tasty product with a pleasing texture. Baking soda is basic and will yield a bitter taste unless countered by the acidity of another ingredient, such as buttermilk. You'll find baking soda in cookie recipes. Baking powder contains both an acid and a base and has an overall neutral effect in terms of taste. Recipes that call for baking powder often call for other neutral-tasting ingredients, such as milk. Baking powder is a common ingredient in cakes and biscuits.
Substituting in Recipes
You can substitute baking powder in place of baking soda (you'll need more baking powder and it may affect the taste), but don't use baking soda (alone) when a recipe calls for baking powder. If your recipe allows it, sneak in a little vinegar or lemon juice so the Baking soda can work it's magic (think Red Velvet cake -- now you know why it calls for vinegar). Baking soda by itself lacks the acidity to make a cake rise. However, you can make your own baking powder if you have baking soda and cream of tartar. Simply mix two parts cream of tartar with one part baking soda.
