Baking powder or baking soda? What is the difference?

baking powderPhoto bycanva

Is this a question you have asked yourself? When I first started baking, I wondered the same thing. In this article I will go over what the difference is and what each one is used for.

Baking soda is also known as sodium bicarbonate, or bicarbonate of soda. It is a quick-acting leavening agent and is ideal for quick breads and cookies. When baking soda is blended with moisture such as buttermilk, molasses, sour cream or other acidic ingredients it releases gases. This reaction is immediate for that reason you will want to get the batter or dough in the oven quickly.

Baking powder is a mixture that is blended with other compounds such as corn starch and cream of tartar. As with baking soda its purpose is to create gases that produce bubbles to give baked goods a light and airy texture.

There are two types of baking powder, single action and double action. Single action baking powder reacts very fast when it meets moisture. For this reason, you will need to get batter or dough in the oven quickly. Double action baking powder is the most popular used for baking. What double action means is it has two leavening periods. The first leavening period is when it is mixed with liquid such as milk or water to create gases and bubbles, The second period is when the baking reaches a certain temperature during baking.

Substituting one powder for the other is not recommended for baking. It could leave your baked goods, flat, dry or hard as a rock.