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They look almost identical. They're both
used to leaven baked goods. Is there any difference between baking soda
and baking powder? Yes, a crucial difference.
Tiny Bubbles
Baking powder and baking soda are both
powders that react chemically to release a profusion of tiny carbon
dioxide bubbles. When heated, these bubbles expand, working to lift and
lighten all kinds of batters - including muffins, quick breads, pancakes,
cakes, cookies, brownies - before the batter sets in the oven. Such baked
goods cook quickly and tend to be relatively delicate in texture. The
style of recipes in which these two leaveners are used, however, is about
as far as the similarities go.
Baking Soda Basic
Just as an experiment, try dropping 1/4
teaspoon baking soda into a drinking glass. Mix in 1/4 cup water. Nothing
happens. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and it will immediately begin to
fizz and bubble like carbonated water. Baking soda is an alkali, or base,
made of a naturally occurring compound known as sodium bicarbonate. As the
experiment demonstrates, for baking soda to release carbon dioxide
bubbles, it needs to react with an acidic ingredient. Some common acids in
baking are buttermilk, cream of tartar, brown sugar, lemon juice, sour
cream and chocolate. The catch with baking soda is that it must be
properly balanced with the acidic ingredient so that it is fully
neutralized. If not, the leftover baking soda will leave a soapy and
bitter flavor.
The power of baking Powder
Baking powder works on the same principle as
baking soda. Ad acid and an alkali react to release carbon dioxide
bubbles. The difference is that baking powder contains both components. It
consists of baking soda and one or two acids. Just add something wet, even
water, and bubble will start to form. Most supermarkets carry
"double-acting" baking powder, which contains two acids that react at
different times in the baking process. The first acid reacts with the
baking soda when a liquid is mixed in. The second acid reacts with the
baking soda when exposed to heat. Single-acting baking powder contains
only one acid and is not often found in supermarkets. Most contemporary
recipes are developed with double-acting baking powder.
Mix and Mismatch
While you can't swap baking soda for baking
powder, or vice versa, you can make baking powder at home. Homemade baking
powder is single-acting, so use it for dough or batters that will be baked
right away. You may wonder why some recipes call for both baking powder
and baking soda. Usually, the amount of baking soda used to neutralize the
recipe's acid is not enough to sufficiently leaven the baked good. So,
baking powder is added as a back-up leavener. Another often-asked question
: How come a favorite recipe, such as a muffin or cake, turns out light
and airy one time and heavy and deflated another? The culprit just might
be the baking powder, which loses its effectiveness about 3 months after
opening.
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