It is an eternal mystery. People have questioned the difference for ages... okay maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration but in a poll of my friends only 1 in 10 know the difference and why it is important to get the right one! Well, I am here to help!It comes down to chemistry. They are both leavening agents, which means they are added to baked goods before cooking to produce carbon dioxide and cause them to 'rise.'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 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!
Baking POWDER
- Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate (i.e. baking SODA), 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.
When to use which?
- Soda vs powder depends on the other ingredients in the recipe. The ultimate goal is to produce a delicious product with a good texture.
- Baking SODA is basic (as in base vs acid) and will yield a bitter taste unless countered by the acidity of another ingredient, such as buttermilk or chocolate. 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.
What the heck do I do if I have one but not the other?!
- Okay, here is my biggie advice... Always have baking SODA and Cream of Tarter in your house. That way, you can make anything.
- If you have baking SODA but need baking POWDER:
- For 1 Tablespoon of POWDER = 1 teaspoon of SODA + 2 teaspoons of Cream of Tarter. Mix together and use.
- Once you have added to your recipe, bake asap and don't over mix. It's delicate.
- Homemade baking powder will clump together if it isn't used right away, but you can prevent this by adding 1 teaspoon of corn starch to the baking powder mixture. Store the baking powder in an airtight container.
- Commercial baking powder preparations often contain hidden ingredients (such as aluminum compounds). By making your own baking powder, you'll have complete control over your ingredients.
- If you have baking POWDER but need baking SODA:
- You need to use 2-3 times more baking powder than baking soda. The extra ingredients in the baking powder will have an effect on the taste of whatever you are making, but this isn't necessarily bad.
- Ideally, triple the amount of baking powder to equal the amount of baking soda.
- So, if the recipe called for 1 tsp baking soda, you would use 3 tsp baking powder.
Thank you to chemistry.about.com for helping out this kitchen chemist!