This is the most important difference between baking powder and baking soda
The enthusiastic baker will definitely have encountered this: recipes call for baking powder, baking soda, or both. What’s the difference, and can you secretly substitute one for the other? We’ll explain the differences.
Let’s start at the beginning: they are both powders that make batter or dough rise. You almost always use one of the two when baking cakes, muffins and sometimes cookies. Without baking powder, a baked good can become flat, dense and heavy, and cookies won’t be crisp, because they don’t rise and don’t develop an airy texture. So far, they seem similar, but they really are two different products.
Baking soda
Often mentioned in foreign recipes. Baking soda makes your baked goods rise because it reacts with acid. In some recipes, you need to mix it separately with vinegar before adding it to your batter. You’ll see an immediate, wild bubbling reaction, which creates air and makes your cake rise.
Use it when your baked good contains, for example, yogurt, buttermilk, citrus or cocoa. I used to search high and low for a box of this stuff. Nowadays, you can simply buy it in sachets or a box at the supermarket, which is great. The well-known Arm & Hammer Pure baking soda costs less than 2 euros for a 454-gram box.
Baking soda also makes crispy potatoes and is a secret ingredient for juicy, tender and perfectly browned ground meat. And besides baking, you can do much more with baking soda. It really is a miracle product for all kinds of cleaning jobs.
Baking powder
You’ll come across this more often in Dutch recipes, and it consists of baking soda with acid and a stabilizer (usually cornstarch or cream of tartar). Sounds complicated, but all you need to remember is that it is less powerful than baking soda and does not need acid to be activated.
The conclusion?
When your baked good contains acid, it’s better to use baking soda; otherwise, use baking powder. Fortunately, you don’t have to do all the calculations yourself, and the correct quantities are usually given in the recipe. But if you run out of baking powder, don’t replace it with baking soda, or vice versa.
Also read:
- 5 baking mistakes you’re making (and how to fix them)
- OMG, you need this: Baklava cheesecake
- Break your bad baking habits
