Baking Soda Vs. Baking Powder: The Key Difference Every Home Baker Should Know

Baking soda and baking powder are both common leavening agents for quick breads , cakes, cookies, and more. Both are critical in making doughs or batters rise, but they are not the same thing and should not be used interchangeably in recipes. In fact, these common pantry items are quite different. We'll explain the difference between baking soda and baking powder and how they are used in recipes.

What Is Baking Soda?

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is an alkaline compound that's used as a leavener. Basically, it reacts with acids to produce carbon dioxide—or bubbles—that lead to the rising of cakes, cookies, and quick breads. Baking soda reacts when it is combined with an acid, which is why recipes with baking soda often include buttermilk , sour cream, lemon juice, natural cocoa powder, or other acidic ingredients. The acid also neutralizes the baking soda and helps to eliminate its metallic flavor.

In addition to being used in a wide variety of baked goods recipes, it can also function as a cleaning product (it does wonders as a scrubbing agent, for example) and as an odor remover (hence, the practice of keeping an open box in your fridge). 

What Is Baking Powder?

Baking powder is also a leavening agent, but it is a different one than baking soda. Made up of a mixture of baking soda, an acidic ingredient such as cream of tartar , and a buffer like cornstarch to prevent the two from reacting. Baking powder can actually be made by mixing these three ingredients together if you suddenly find you've run out in the middle of making chocolate chip cookies .

Because it already contains acid, baking powder only needs a liquid to react and cause your batter to rise. Double-acting baking powder reacts twice: once when it is exposed to liquid, and again when it is exposed to heat.

Why Do Recipes Use Both Baking Soda And Baking Powder?

Some recipes call for baking soda, others for baking powder, and many call for both. As chef and writer Shani Frymer explains, "Recipes call for both when an acid-based chemical reaction is necessary to provide rise. Baking powder does most of the heavy lifting in the rise department and while baking soda aids in leavening, it also helps neutralize the acid."

Take buttermilk pancakes, for instance. Frymer says the "swift reaction between the buttermilk and the baking powder and baking soda makes lofty, fluffy pancakes."

Since measurements used in the vast majority of baking recipes must be precise in order for the final product to turn out as it is supposed to, it's important to follow the recipe closely. That means using correct amounts of baking soda, baking powder, and all of the other ingredients in your Cranberry Orange Muffins.

Can You Substitute Baking Soda And Baking Powder?

You may be wondering if you can substitute baking soda for baking powder and vice versa, and the short answer is: No, you cannot. 

Frymer cautions against mixing up these two common baking ingredients because "baking soda has a high alkalinity that can be pretty unpleasant if there's a lot of it in a recipe." Plus, baking soda impacts how baked goods brown, as well as how cookies spread, so playing with the ratios can really change how the final product looks.

There's a reason that recipes often call for more baking powder than baking soda, says Frymer, adding that "a little goes a long way." Too much baking soda may alter the taste of the dish, but not enough baking soda may result in an insufficient rise. The key, says Frymer, is to never overdo it on either ingredient.

Try to keep both items on hand—you never know when the mood to bake will strike—and be mindful that these products have expiration dates. Although baking soda and baking powder may be ok for up to six months after opening them, you might find that fresher containers yield better results in cookies and other baked goods.

Read the original article on Southern Living