"sodium bicarbonate" news and stories

Baking powder and baking soda are both types of chemical leaveners used in baking. The two have different properties, so they cannot simply be substituted for one another directly.

Baking soda is also known as bicarbonate of soda. It reacts with acidic ingredients, such as buttermilk, yogurt and molasses to create bubbles of carbon dioxide, which causes batter to rise. It starts to work immediately when exposed to the acidic ingredient, so a batter made with baking soda should generally be baked as soon after mixing as possible. Baking soda can also aid in browning during baking.

Baking powder is actually a combination of baking soda, cream of tartar and a bit of cornstarch. Cream of tartar is an acidic ingredient, so it prompts the baking soda to work even when no other acidic ingredients are present in a batter. The cornstarch absorbs moisture and prevents the baking powder from being activated too quickly, or before it makes it into the batter in the first place. It works by releasing CO2 bubbles, just as baking soda does. Many baking powders, and most of those used in the US, are "double acting," meaning that they work once when exposed to moisture and again when exposed to heat. This gives the impression that baking powder doughs and batters will rise higher than those made with baking soda alone, but this is not necessarily the case.