The Difference: Baking powder v. baking soda

On my baking frenzy I decided I should truly learn the core basics of the kitchen. First of all I need to learn how to cook. Matt is the cook in this kitchen and I'm the baker. No problem--except, he never wants to cook! So I'll be cooking some meals each week and completely following the recipe. They don't always turn out great but I'll try.

I also need to learn the chemistry of different ingredients when I'm baking. Here's the  first--the difference between baking soda and baking powder. I know the taste difference but what do they do to recipes?


Both are white powders, odorless and nearly indistinguishable. Yet both help your baked goods to rise. Without them (or another leavener like yeast or beaten egg whites) all of our breads and cakes would be very flat and dense. Read on...




Baking soda also known as sodium bicarbonate forms carbon dioxide gas - making your breads and cookies rise. However it also produces sodium carbonate, which doesn't taste so great. It leaves an unpleasant, alkaline flavor behind. But if you mix baking soda with an acid (like lemon juice or another citric acid carrier) then the sodium carbonate is partially neutralized and leaves behind less aftertaste. 


Baking powder is basically just baking soda with acid added in. It has just enough acid to use up the sodium carbonate. This is great for when you’re making a recipe without an acidic liquid ingredient.


How do you use this info in your own kitchen? My trick is to remember that baking soda works with foods that are acidic. If you are making biscuits that call for buttermilk and baking soda, but you substitute regular milk, your biscuits may not rise. Buttermilk is acidic and releases the raising power in the baking soda. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to each cup of milk. Now vice versa, what if you add an acidic ingredient to a recipe with baking powder? You will need to add a little soda. Let's say you are making cookies and substituting 1/2 cup lemon juice for the water in order to make lemon cookies. The recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of baking powder, but you will need to neutralize the acid in the lemon juice. Substitute baking soda for one teaspoon of the baking powder. Baking soda is 4 times as powerful as baking powder, so use only 1/4 teaspoon baking soda for each teaspoon of baking powder in the original recipe.


Now the reason why both soda and powder might be used is because you might have enough soda to neutralize the acid in a recipe, but not actually enough to lift the batter. In these cases,  a little baking powder will give the extra lift needed to make the recipe perfect. You could use baking powder alone, but then your finished baked treat might taste too acidic.


Read more: HERE and The Joy of Baking HERE