I've made various recipes in the past...some requiring Baking Powder and others requiring Baking Soda. The ingredients look the same. They do the same thing (make dough rise). So why different uses and such different results? That's always bugged me, but I never had the time or inclination to find out why...until today! For those who don't already know, Baking Powder and Baking Soda are exactly the same thing...sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). That blew my mind! So why the difference? Baking Soda (NaHCO3) is alkaline (High pH). When mixed with an acid (low pH), CO2 gas is released...making dough rise (and the Climate Change). So...Baking Soda (pure NaHCO3) is used with recipes that contain a separate acid (e.g. vinegar, coffee, yogurt, buttermilk, etc). Nothing else is needed to produce the desired chemical reaction. On the other hand, Baking Powder is used in recipes that don't contain an acid. Baking Powder is Baking Soda...plus a dry acid. Moisture triggers the reaction...making the dough rise. You can actually use Baking Powder in a recipe that calls for Baking Soda, but not vice versa. It really doesn't make sense to do that. though. Baking Soda is cheaper and more powerful. Three (3x) the amount of Baking Powder is needed to replace Baking Soda. Another interesting factoid...Baking Soda has no shelf life. but Baking Powder has. Baking Powder only lasts between 6-12 months...based on exposure to humidity. Humidity causes Baking Powder to weaken. If you wonder if your Baking Power is "fresh", you can add 1/4 cup boiling water to 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder to test. If it foams up like crazy, it's fresh. If it looks like dormant chalk, throw it out.
I am not in charge of the cooking at my house but what I do know is that my wife uses baking soda when she makes her world famous peach cobbler and that baking soda is her secret ingredient.
Mmmm...sounds delicious! That makes sense. In addition to changing the texture of a recipe, adding Baking Soda can also raise the pH...improving flavor (in recipes where pH is an issue). For me, cooking becomes much more fun as I understand what I'm doing. Fruit recipes seem to call for sugar to smooth out pH harshness, but a little Baking Soda could be cheaper and healthier. Everyone's probably thinking, "He didn't know that?!". I'm just learning. I remember asking my Mother about this years ago and she would just say..."Follow the instructions and don't waste ingredients! Think of all those starving children in China". Seriously, there were literally millions of children starving to death due to Mao's "Cultural Revolution"...the same thing the WEF wants to foist on the World with their "Great Reset". Just when we get everything working again, the next generation comes along and screws it all up! ...but I digress. Please post any cooking tips you (or your wife) might like to share!
