What is the difference between baking powder and baking soda? That’s subtle, but important

Sharing baked goods with family, friends and colleagues can be special. But I will never forget to be disappointed that I was unable to stand up to my colleague, the rhubarb muffin. They were dense, rubbery, and embarrassing at the reputation of chemists as chefs (the #chemistswhocook feed is full of delicious food on social media).

The cause of my failure was the imbalance between the acidity of rhubarb and the chemical feeding agent I used in baking.

Both baking powder and baking soda can play a role in giving baked goods a bubble-filled texture and flavor. They are sold side by side in supermarkets and have similar uses. But what are the differences between them, and how can we use those differences for our interests?

What is in the box?

A quick look at the packaging shows the difference between the two products.

Baking soda contains one ingredient. It is also known as sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate or simply bicarb. Baking soda is well known for its cleaning, cooking and deodorizing uses.

Baking powder is usually a mixture of three ingredients. Starch derived from baking soda, acid, corn, rice and wheat. Starch makes powder measurements easier and prevents the acid and base from reacting early in the pantry. Baking powder is used only for cooking purposes.

A common ingredient in both products is baking soda. This salt can be purified from natural sources or synthetically prepared.

Acid is the key

Baking soda is a base and can react chemically with acids. This carbonation reaction produces bubbles of a mixture of carbon dioxide, water and new salts. Baking soda can also release carbon dioxide gas when heated at temperatures above 80°C.

Mix baking soda into the cake batter and initial chemical activation by food acids is seen. This will form bubbles and raise the mixture.

The acid comes from other ingredients in the mix, such as yogurt, buttermilk, or rhubarb from my failed muffin. If there is too much acid, most of the carbon dioxide is released during this batter stage.

When the mixture is placed in a hot oven, the high temperature will form additional carbon dioxide bubbles. This thermal activation forms a new salt, sodium carbonate. This allows you to feel the residual flavor and “soap” mouth if it is still in the final product.

Mix baking powder into the cake batter and chemical activation occurs to form foam. Baking soda in the mixture reacts with the acid found in the baking powder mix and the acidic components of the batter.

The type of acid contained in baking powder can subtly alter the behavior of baking powder. The more acid in the batter dissolves, the faster the carbon dioxide forms bubbles.

A recipe that requires both baking powder and baking soda may be considering doing two things. It neutralizes rich food acids from other ingredients and provides time-to-beat increased temperature activation.

Baking soda can increase the surface browning of food by increasing the Maillard reaction. This class of reactions brings delicious chemical transformations to roasted coffee, baked steaks, baked bread and more.

On the other hand, an excess of baking soda can change the appearance of a food. For example, turn blueberry anthocyanins green with muffins or pancakes.

Can I substitute baking powder and baking soda?

Baking (like chemistry) is an accurate science. It is best not to replace baking soda with baking powder or vice versa. It has slightly different chemical effects.

If you really need an alternative, the general rule is that you need three times the baking powder as baking soda (so if the recipe asks for one teaspoon of baking soda, add three teaspoons of baking powder).

But that’s not an exact conversion. It does not take into account the important role of acids already in baking powder. This can affect the final acid-base balance of the recipe.

You can compensate by adding acids such as tartare cream or citric acid. However, getting the relative amounts of acid and base right can be difficult. These acids are also likely to promote immediate release of carbon dioxide, resulting in less oven activation, leading to dense baking.

You should not replace baking powder with baking soda when cleaning. The acid in baking powder neutralizes the cleaning activity of sodium bicarbonate, but starch can leave sticky striped messes.

It is best to place both baking powder and baking soda in the pantry to maintain its unique use. Try to share the delicious treats you bake with others and share new knowledge of the hilarious chemistry that is contained within.

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