Bicarb vs Baking Soda Everything you need to know Tuesday Tips
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Date: 2019-10-31
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Comments and reviews: 10
Carlotta ZADRA
Although it is true that the baking powder contains only a quarter of bicarbonate and therefore it is also a quarter powerful compared to bicarbonate, this does not mean you cannot replace it. Furthermore, when you use baking powder you don't need to add an acid, you just have to use the correct amount suggested on the package accordingly to the amount of flour in the cake. Actually, in Italy we only use baking powder (usually made by sodium diphosphate + sodium hydrogen carbonate, plus cornstarch as a stabilizer) and it works for every kind of preparation. The general rules could be: when preparing a recipe in which an acid is already present among the ingredients, bicarbonate is indicated. On the contrary, if there are no acids in the recipe (molasses, maple syrup, lemon juice, yogurt, etc) it is better to prefer baking powder. But, again, you can also always use baking powder as is more stable and does not require an acid.
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Although it is true that the baking powder contains only a quarter of bicarbonate and therefore it is also a quarter powerful compared to bicarbonate, this does not mean you cannot replace it. Furthermore, when you use baking powder you don't need to add an acid, you just have to use the correct amount suggested on the package accordingly to the amount of flour in the cake. Actually, in Italy we only use baking powder (usually made by sodium diphosphate + sodium hydrogen carbonate, plus cornstarch as a stabilizer) and it works for every kind of preparation. The general rules could be: when preparing a recipe in which an acid is already present among the ingredients, bicarbonate is indicated. On the contrary, if there are no acids in the recipe (molasses, maple syrup, lemon juice, yogurt, etc) it is better to prefer baking powder. But, again, you can also always use baking powder as is more stable and does not require an acid.
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Gomorrah
I have a bit of a dilemma that might be explained by other people's wisdom because I sure as hell am stumped, i use a cookie recipe which I've used more times than I can count in the past, which uses both baking soda & baking powder. for some reason they don't spread anymore. i form them into balls, chill them, then bake them. any other time they would spread out and bake quite nicely, but recently they barely spread at all in the oven. my immediate assumption was the baking soda might be a bit old and doesn't have any power to react anymore. but I checked it by dropping some into some vinegar, and some hot water (I've done this for both the baking soda and powder) and it seems to be reacting just fine. so yeah, really confused? if anyone has any tips or has another good cookie recipe they can recommend that would be much appreciated
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I have a bit of a dilemma that might be explained by other people's wisdom because I sure as hell am stumped, i use a cookie recipe which I've used more times than I can count in the past, which uses both baking soda & baking powder. for some reason they don't spread anymore. i form them into balls, chill them, then bake them. any other time they would spread out and bake quite nicely, but recently they barely spread at all in the oven. my immediate assumption was the baking soda might be a bit old and doesn't have any power to react anymore. but I checked it by dropping some into some vinegar, and some hot water (I've done this for both the baking soda and powder) and it seems to be reacting just fine. so yeah, really confused? if anyone has any tips or has another good cookie recipe they can recommend that would be much appreciated
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JudyCZ
I never knew this, it's so interesting Wow. Why am I blown away by this? In most of the Czech recipes that I grew up on there's only baking powder (edit: I checked it now, there's a possibility that the Czech BP has a higher amount of BC. I'll have to check with the one from Marks&Spencer. this is becoming a science project) and rarely ever bicarb so I kinda assumed that they're more or less interchangeable even when I started to bake a lot from Jemma's recipes or other British/American origin recipes. I'll stop doing that. P. S. Tomorow is my boyfriend's birthday and I'm baking your brownies. Because they're the best in the world.
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I never knew this, it's so interesting Wow. Why am I blown away by this? In most of the Czech recipes that I grew up on there's only baking powder (edit: I checked it now, there's a possibility that the Czech BP has a higher amount of BC. I'll have to check with the one from Marks&Spencer. this is becoming a science project) and rarely ever bicarb so I kinda assumed that they're more or less interchangeable even when I started to bake a lot from Jemma's recipes or other British/American origin recipes. I'll stop doing that. P. S. Tomorow is my boyfriend's birthday and I'm baking your brownies. Because they're the best in the world.
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Sis Jasmine
Lol I've made cookies that uses baking soda/bicarbonate of soda but mine was expired so I used baking powder instead and it works beautifully. But you cannot substitute baking soda if the recipes said to mix vinegar and baking soda like in red velvet cupcake cause you will be adding a lot of air and lift which can cause the cake to collapse or sunk in the middle after baking, it also can give a weird taste cause of the amount of baking powder in it. If you ever taste a scone after a day it was made, it taste weird right? That's because of the raising agent. So what you can do is just SKIP the baking soda.
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Lol I've made cookies that uses baking soda/bicarbonate of soda but mine was expired so I used baking powder instead and it works beautifully. But you cannot substitute baking soda if the recipes said to mix vinegar and baking soda like in red velvet cupcake cause you will be adding a lot of air and lift which can cause the cake to collapse or sunk in the middle after baking, it also can give a weird taste cause of the amount of baking powder in it. If you ever taste a scone after a day it was made, it taste weird right? That's because of the raising agent. So what you can do is just SKIP the baking soda.
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Kheasl
Baking powder is one part baking soda, a little less than two parts cream of tartar, and a bit of salt, so you can make it yourself at home. Also, the function of the cream of tartar is that it's a dry acid. Baking soda is used when an acidic element is already being used in the recipe, like lemon, or vinegar, or if less leavening is needed, because a lot of ingredients used in baking have very small amounts of acid that can create a mild reaction in combination with water and heat.
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Baking powder is one part baking soda, a little less than two parts cream of tartar, and a bit of salt, so you can make it yourself at home. Also, the function of the cream of tartar is that it's a dry acid. Baking soda is used when an acidic element is already being used in the recipe, like lemon, or vinegar, or if less leavening is needed, because a lot of ingredients used in baking have very small amounts of acid that can create a mild reaction in combination with water and heat.
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Elisabeth T
I agree like 95%. The only time I can say that if u run out of one that u can use another is if u run out of baking powder and u have baking soda, cream of tartar and the third ingredient I cant remember. Then u would be able to mix your own baking powder which I used to do because it was difficult to find aluminum free but now I just buy aluminum free. I hate the aluminum ones because they taste metallic to me in desserts. I know most people cant taste it but I can.
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I agree like 95%. The only time I can say that if u run out of one that u can use another is if u run out of baking powder and u have baking soda, cream of tartar and the third ingredient I cant remember. Then u would be able to mix your own baking powder which I used to do because it was difficult to find aluminum free but now I just buy aluminum free. I hate the aluminum ones because they taste metallic to me in desserts. I know most people cant taste it but I can.
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Exzell
Hmm am a bit puzzled here, i make carrot cake and red velvet cake where the recipe calls or bicarbonate of soda as well as baking powder but i always use baking powder only, like Sally explained in the video my cakes dont always go in the oven straight away but i never notice the difference unless i've used too much bicarb and the taste is just horrible - but my cakes are light and fluffy so what gives?
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Hmm am a bit puzzled here, i make carrot cake and red velvet cake where the recipe calls or bicarbonate of soda as well as baking powder but i always use baking powder only, like Sally explained in the video my cakes dont always go in the oven straight away but i never notice the difference unless i've used too much bicarb and the taste is just horrible - but my cakes are light and fluffy so what gives?
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Kelli B
For baking powder, most these days are double acting. So there are two stages of reaction, once when it interacts with a liquid and then again when it is introduced to heat. Also I thought it was interesting that you mentioned baking powder goes in cookies, because almost every cookie recipe I've seen baking soda is used, not baking powder.
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For baking powder, most these days are double acting. So there are two stages of reaction, once when it interacts with a liquid and then again when it is introduced to heat. Also I thought it was interesting that you mentioned baking powder goes in cookies, because almost every cookie recipe I've seen baking soda is used, not baking powder.
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clawtooth35
if I happened to have run out of baking powder, but had bicarb AND happened to have cream of tartar in the house, what ratio should I use? Also how does cream of tartar fit into the equation anyway? I know it's an acid and its an ingredient in baking powder -- and I know it's used in meringues, but does it have any other uses?
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if I happened to have run out of baking powder, but had bicarb AND happened to have cream of tartar in the house, what ratio should I use? Also how does cream of tartar fit into the equation anyway? I know it's an acid and its an ingredient in baking powder -- and I know it's used in meringues, but does it have any other uses?
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Erin Vittoria
Baking soda also helps with browning. Then you have the effect when you combine both of them in a recipe due to adding another acidic ingredient like buttermilk or coffee or natural cocoa powder. All very complex. Good explanation, but I think there are quite a few more factors that should've been explained; )
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Baking soda also helps with browning. Then you have the effect when you combine both of them in a recipe due to adding another acidic ingredient like buttermilk or coffee or natural cocoa powder. All very complex. Good explanation, but I think there are quite a few more factors that should've been explained; )
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