Thursday, January 7, 2010

What is the difference between baking powder and baking soda?

Knowing the difference will help determine which to use in a recipe.What is the difference between baking powder and baking soda?
An important question in cooking. Baking powder is a mixture of an acid, like tartaric or citric acid, and bicarbonate of soda. which is alkaline. When you buy this mixture, it is dry, and there's no reaction. As soon as you add water, the acid and base react, and bubbles of carbon dioxide gas are given off. Try it. Put some baking powder in a glass and add cold water. It will fizz up. So it's important to keep baking powder dry while you store it, and if you add it to something moist when cooking, like batter, carry out the rest of the cooking fairly quickly, before all the bubbles have escaped. Bicarbonate of soda is also a raising agent which produces bubbles of carbon dioxide gas, but it works differently. It doesn't decompose when it gets wet, like baking powder does, but it decomposes and gives off CO2 gas when hot. The heat of baking produces the gas. Take two glasses and put some bicarbonate of soda into each glass. Add boiling water to one glass and cold water to the other. Only the hot one will fizz. Are baking powder and bicarbonate interchangeable in recipes? Not always. Baking powder is neutral but bicarbonate is an alkali. Keep a supply of both and stick to the recipe. Sometimes it makes a difference.What is the difference between baking powder and baking soda?
Both baking soda and baking powder are leavening agents, which means they are added to baked goods before cooking to produce carbon dioxide and cause them to 'rise'. Baking powder actually contains baking soda, but the two substances are used under different conditions.





Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate.


Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate, but it includes the acidifying agent already (cream of tartar), and also a drying agent (usually starch).
All the difference in the world. Baking Powder is used to make cakes, biscuits, etc to rise while baking them. Baking soda is very distasteful and is used to usually in cookies, and is very good in whitening the teeth and cleaning stains out of plastic.
BAKING POWDER


is a leavening agent which consists of a mixture of sodium bicarbonate, one or more leavening agents such as sodium aluminum phosphate or mono calcium phosphate, and an inert material such as starch. The inert material keeps the reactive components physically separated and minimizes premature reaction. It should yield not less than 12% of available carbon dioxide.


BAKING SODA


is a bicarbonate of soda, chemically known as sodium bicarbonate. It liberates carbon dioxide, a leavening gas, when heated or mixed with an acid. It is a component of baking powder and is used as a leavening agent.
BAKING POWDER


is a leavening agent which consists of a mixture of sodium bicarbonate, one or more leavening agents such as sodium aluminum phosphate or mono calcium phosphate, and an inert material such as starch. The inert material keeps the reactive components physically separated and minimizes premature reaction. It should yield not less than 12% of available carbon dioxide.


BAKING SODA


is a bicarbonate of soda, chemically known as sodium bicarbonate. It liberates carbon dioxide, a leavening gas, when heated or mixed with an acid. It is a component of baking powder and is used as a leavening agent.
both r same
Baking Powder is a leavening powder, and Baking Soda is a sodium bicarbonate powder which can also be used as an antacid. They both can do the same job but baking soda can do more.

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