The Difference between Baking Powder and Baking Soda

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Last month, I was reading an article by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., who tried to explain The Difference between Baking Powder and Baking Soda.
 
As someone who rarely bakes (and is plant based) when I do, I feel totally not knowledgable in this area and generally do not like cooking from a recipe. Desserts are like a science project – exact amounts. Not my style!
 
I thought I might have a few readers who feel the same. So let’s have Anne Marie explain the difference between baking soda and powder so that we can refer to this when we’re not sure how and when to use them, or even why we might need them.

She says: “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”.

Here’s more from the article:

BAKING SODA


Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. When baking soda is combined with moisture and an acidic ingredient (e.g., yogurt, chocolate, buttermilk, honey), the resulting chemical reaction produces bubbles of carbon dioxide that expand under oven temperatures, causing baked goods to expand or rise.

The reaction begins immediately upon mixing the ingredients, so you need to bake recipes which call for baking soda immediately, or else they will fall flat! And I guess here, that if I don’t get that reaction the ingredients are no longer usable. Right? Right! But is there more I need to know like, how to test for freshness? 

Here’s that link:

How To Test Baking Soda for Freshness

And now, more about the powder and its’ double acting ability, plus more about recipes….

BAKING POWDER

Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate, but it includes the acidifying agent already (cream of tartar), and also 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.

I love this next part…. more for the part about making your own baking powder, but also teaching us how and when to substitute (and what to look for).

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 you can’t use baking soda when a recipe calls for baking powder. 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.

Now, I’m not encouraging you to take up baking. But like me, I did want you to have all the facts. Don’t go crazy. Remember: desserts are for special occasions! lol

Healthy Happy Eating,