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Tips for Better Baking: Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda (#40)

Tips for Better Baking: Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda

Knowing your ingredients is key to becoming a better baker. In this edition of Tips for Better Baking, let’s go over the difference between baking powder and baking soda.

Both baking powder and baking soda are chemical leavening agents that cause baked goods to rise. While similar in purpose, they are very different in composition.

According to The Pastry Chef’s Companion:

Baking soda (also known as bicarbonate of soda or sodium bicarbonate) is an alkali leavener used for making baked goods. When it is combined with an acid and moisture, it produces carbon dioxide, which causes batters to rise. Without an acid ingredient to neutralize the alkalinity of the baking soda, baked goods will have a metallic, soapy taste.

Baking powder is a leavening agent used for baked goods that consists of baking soda, cream of tartar or other acid, and a moisture absorber such as cornstarch. Double-action baking powder releases once when dissolved and again when exposed to heat.

Tip for Better Baking: Baking powder and baking soda are not interchangeable  Since baking powder already has an acid in it, it is typically used in recipes with non-acid ingredients such as Dutch process cocoa powder or cream. Baking soda is used when an acid such as lemon juice, buttermilk, or natural cocoa powder is present in the recipe. 

You may notice some recipes call for both baking powder and baking soda. This is the case when extra rise is needed or when you want to keep a bit of tangy, acid flavor.

Related posts:

  1. Tips for Better Baking – Sifting Ingredients (#49) Tips for Better Baking #49 – Sifting Ingredients When it comes to sifting ingredients, I have a few tips that help get the best results: Invest in a fine-mesh strainer. It is the best tool...
  2. Tips for Better Baking: Always Sift Cocoa Powder (#38) Cocoa powder is notoriously clumpy. If you add it straight to a recipe, it can be nearly impossible to break up the clumps and you’ll end up with dry spots in your finished product. In...
  3. Tips for Better Baking: Natural vs. Dutch Process Cocoa Powder (#41) Cocoa powder comes in two main varieties, natural and Dutch process, and they are not always interchangeable. Acid is an important part of the reactions in baking and the two types of cocoa powder vary...
  4. Cups to Grams Baking Conversion Chart (Tips for Better Baking #36) The number one way to improve your baking is to start weighing your ingredients. Weighing ingredients is more accurate than measuring by volume — a cup of flour can vary up to 30% but the...

Filed Under: Tips for Better Baking Tagged With: baking powder, baking soda, tips for better baking

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The Hungry Traveler by Jordan Hamons is a culinary travel blog about globally inspired cooking and food-focused travel.
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