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Baking Powder versus Bicarbonate of Soda
Baking powder
Baking powder contains bicarbonate of soda and an acid ingredient that has a tartrate or phosphate base plus corn flour or rice flour as a filler. Baking powder gives off carbon dioxide that leavens or causes the batter or dough to rise. The most common one now in Australia is Ward’s baking powder. It contains rice flour rather than corn flour so is gluten free and is phosphate based.
Bicarbonate of soda or baking soda
Bicarbonate of soda is the main leavening agent in baking powder and is used in combination with an acid or souring ingredient in baking.
Cream of tartar or tartaric acid
The chemical name is Potassium Bitratrate and it may be used to make a baking powder when combined with bicarbonate of soda.
Acid ingredients
Acid ingredients are a component of baking powder and are either based on tartrate or phosphate.
Souring or acid ingredients
Souring ingredients are part of the recipe and therefore some or all the baking powder will be replace with bicarbonate of soda. Souring ingredients in the recipe that replace cream of tartar or phosphate in baking powder are buttermilk, sour cream, yoghurt or milk soured with lemon or vinegar, honey, golden syrup or molasses.
When to use baking powder and when to use Bicarbonate of soda.
If the recipe contains an acid or souring ingredient then bicarbonate of soda is used instead of baking powder. Baking powder is used in baking cakes, scones, biscuits where there isn’t any acid or souring component. Recipes may call for some baking powder and bicarbonate of soda when there is insufficient souring ingredient. Too much bicarbonate of soda or baking powder will result in the product over-rising, possibly overflowing the container or collapsing and resulting in a soapy taste.
Self- Raising flour
Self- raising flour contains bicarbonate of soda and either cream of tartar or a phosphate (acid). If a recipe calls for plain flour and bicarbonate of soda then other ingredients in it are acting as a souring agent and using self-raising flour will alter the proportions and cause the product to rise too much and have a soapy taste. Self-raising flour cannot be substituted for plain flour without altering the recipe.
Substituting sour milk for fresh milk in a recipe
If you would like to use sour milk, buttermilk or yoghurt for fresh milk then use plain flour, and for every cup of sour dairy add ½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. Sour milk by adding lemon juice or vinegar to fresh milk.
Useful substitutes
1 teaspoon of baking powder= ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda + 5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar.
1 cup self-raising flour = 2 teaspoons of baking powder or 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda + 1 ¼ teaspoons cream of tartar to 1 cup of plain flour.
1 teaspoon baking powder= ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda + ¼ to ½ cup molasses, honey or golden syrup.
1 cup sour milk= 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon fresh milk+ 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice.
1 teaspoon baking powder= ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda + ½ cup buttermilk, sour milk, yoghurt or sour cream. Decrease liquid in the recipe by about ½ cup or by a 1/3 cup for a thick yoghurt or sour cream.
Added to site on : Friday, 27 June 2003