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Re: baking powder and baking soda

"Tasslehoff" and baking soda and I'm confused.

Baking soda and baking powder provides both leaving gases. the baking soda will immediately neutraLize the acidity of the fruit while the baking powder will provide the needed leavening of the batter.AS the carbon dioxide released by the immediate soda neutralization is just released most of it before it reaches the oven. Therefore the baking powder which has a gradual release of leaveming gases provide much of the leavening performance. In relation to this topic I had also provide the answer of the original poster of this thread which was not provided appropriate answers previously ;and it will also help in your understanding of the effects:

?I have read that 1/2 tsp. of baking soda is the equivalent of 2 tsp. of baking powder. But I wonder about that. If I use 1/2 tsp. of soda, do I add 1 tsp. or 1-1/2 tsp. of baking powder?'

It just doesn't seem that this rule of thumb that 1/2 tsp. of soda equals 2 tsp. of baking soda is correct'

Baking powder just contains 30% of baking soda. Therefore if you convert your volume quantities to weight you will be have per teaspoon of baking soda weigh 5 grams and the baking powder is 3.5 grams. Now your statement that 2 teaspoon of baking powder is equal to ½ teaspoon of baking soda is not correct

2 tsp of baking powder is only 3.5 x 2= 7 grams which has only 0.30 x 7 = 2.1 baking soda.

?. The muffins never rise as high as they do with 3 tsp. of baking powder and 1 cup of regular milk.'

Now you are using 3 teaspoon of baking powder which is 10.5 grams. That will be 3.15 grams soda. Which is reasonable.

?Lately, I have used 1 tsp. of Clabber Girl (an S.A.S. powder with aluminum) plus 1/2 tsp. of soda. I realize that the "extras" in the recipe will weigh it down. Next time I'll try it with 1-1/2 tsp. of powder. When I made blueberry muffins which had 1 cup of blueberries, the muffins did not rise as high as another muffin of a similar recipe without it.'

Now the total soda in that combination is only 1.05 grams in the baking powder plus 2.5 gram of the added soda =3.55 grams soda.

Also, when I made banana muffins, I had lots of acid in there (brown sugar, banana, and buttermilk). So I used 1 tsp. of each soda and baking powder.

Then That will be 1.05 grams + 5 gram =6.05 gram soda which will result in better volume.

'The muffins had beautiful huge caps! So I would like to know how to get those huge caps on every muffin, even the non-fruit ones that don't have so much acid in them. I always use at least 1 cup of buttermilk, however, so I will always use that 1/2 tsp. of soda in there. I just need to know how much baking powder.'

Therefore in order to obtain the desired muffin caps you had to increase the baking powder so that it will enough gas produced by the inherent soda. If you add ½ tsp soda to neutralize the acidity of buttermilk then you will need 2 tsp of baking powder which will sum up in total soda as;

2.5 grams + 2.1 grams =4.6 grams soda (not enough) Now if you use 3 teaspoon baking powder that will provide you with 3.15 grams of soda plus the soda used to neutralize the buttermilks which is 2.5 grams = 3.15 + 2.5 = 5.65 grams soda which is better but will only produce medium caps then 3.5 tsp of baking powder = 3.5x 3.5 =12.25 grams x 0.30 = 3.675 Now add this to the soda added: 3.675 + 2.5 = 6.175 grams, the level of soda you needed in your acidic banana muffins. Therefore if you want to make neutral muffin batter increasing the baking powder is the best option. Adding soda is optional in this as long as you do not use buttermilk. Generally muffins with caps had high amount of baking powder about 3.5 to 4 tsp baking powder in your required flour of 2 cups. Indeed it can have some aftertaste as the level of soda or baking powder is increased. But the level I mentioned is common in the baking industry and its still produce a neutral taste.But there are some sensitive people that can detect it at that level.

?Another issue is what type of baking powder. I just can't seem to get Rumford (non-aluminum baking powder) to work as well as the Clabber Girl. Does anyone else have this experience? I have used a couple of different cans that were new, so it's not old or defective. But the muffins definitely rise better with Clabber Girl which has aluminum. I would like to hear from anyone who has used both types. Does your experience with these two show that aluminum-type baking powders seem to give a higher rise?'

Rumford type of baking powder is a sodium pyrophosphate type which is inferior to the clabber girl or sodium aluminium sulfate type in leavening performance especially in cakes and muffins .In cake making especially high liquid types I always insist on the Clabber girl and Calumet baking powder. The pyrophosphate type is not that robust in comparison; and you made the right observation.

Roy

Reply to
Roy Basan
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Hi: Baking soda is (as you stated) sodium bicarbonate. It reacts with acids (like vinegar) to give off carbon dioxide (very actively). It also decomposes with heat but at a much sloweer rate. Baking powder is a mixture of baking soda and another salt, based on aluminium or phosphate. These produce acid when heated that react with the baking soda. One can get different rates using different baking powder chemistries.

Joe "Tasslehoff" and baking soda and I'm confused.

Reply to
Joe Yudelson

I'm just going to note, because it's a soapbox issue for me, the following.

Most 'double-acting' type baking powders contain sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), aluminum sulfate, and calcium phosphate in various quantities. The really cheap store brand baking powders often contain just sodium bicarbonate and aluminum sulfate.

I'm not sure there's a quality issue with regard to the rise provided by different powders. But I'm sure there's a flavor issue.

Aluminum sulfate is very bitter. Not because it's aluminum, but because sulfates are bitter.

Phosphates are a little bitter too, but they're far less bitter than sulfates, and they also taste a little salty. It's a far more neutral flavor.

I find that when cooking things that have very neutral flavors, the bitterness of a sulfate based baking powder can have a negative effect.

Case in point, pancakes. The recipe I use is nothing but flour, milk, egg, oil, sugar, and a pinch of salt. and baking powder. There aren't many flavors to go around in this recipe, and none of them are strong. I'm not saying that sulfate baking powder makes them taste bitter, i'm saying it makes them taste less like eggs, milk, flour, and corn oil.

There are other reasons some people have for avoiding sulfate baking powder, but those reasons are stupid. This is a perfectly good, logical reason. Unlike the others.

For the record, known non-sulfate baking powders are Rumford and Pillsbury. There are probably others. Calumet and Clabber Girl both include aluminum sulfate, and are perfectly fine for sweet or flavorful baked goods.

The non-sulfate brands cost a little more. This is because aluminum sulfate is cheaper than dirt, and calcium phosphate isn't.

Since most of my uses for baking powder fall into the 'bland' category, I spend the extra 50 cents.

Classically, baking powder is alleged to contain potassium bitartrate, also known as cream of tartar. This may have been true, I don't actually know. For that matter, before baking soda existed (it's a manufactured chemical) people used to use mined soda salts, so a mixture of baking soda and cream of tartar is hardly authentic.

Some people have alleged to me that there are currently producing brands that use potassium bitartrate as the acid. I am very interested in purchasing a sample if anyone can name a brand.

I'm done with the soap box now, if anyone else wants it.

- Eric

Reply to
Eric Jorgensen

I would say that it contains a sodium aluminum sulfate(or sodium alum) as aluminum sulfate with soda alone has no value as a baking powder . Besides the reaction rate of sodium aluminum sulfate is too slow that its worthless as a single acidulant in baking powder.It should be used with calcium acid phosphate to balance the reaction rate.This what makes the SAS type baking powder good performing.It is a combination of a very slow leavening acid ()sodium aluminum sulfate)and a fast acting leavening acid (calcium acid phosphate that is the secret.

Indeed there is a quality difference in the end product between different leavening acids.The main difference is ionic. The trivalent aluminum ions(Al+++) can confer better batter stabilization due to better binding in the gluten as well (as some interaction with starch granules ) making it possible to produce a more stable cake at even high liquid content in the batter. Try to compare a chiffon cake made with an SAS type baking powder and SAPP type baking powder. SAPP type acid, results in a weaker cake structure than the SAS type acidulant. Single acting type that contains only calcium acid phosphate( or monocalcium phosphate monohydrate) can confer some gluten strenghening but its only divalent ion (Ca++)and its fast acting so the reaction rate does not warrant a stable cake batter with baking tolerance Even in double Acting category containing monocalcium phosphates ( in combination with SAPP) which has also a gluten strenghtening effect; it pales in comparison to the aluminized baking powder.

Indeed this is true,and that is one reason that the cake premix plant never use sodium aluminum sulfate because of that puckery taste.The use the clean tasting sodium aluminum phosphate which incidentally is more expensive. Another thing is it does not bring good keeping stability as the it will make the cake mix turn rancid on storage. But you will still notice that if you read the ingredeint declaration of some cake mixes such as Betty Crocker(ex. white cake mix) they had aluminum sulfate which is in such a very minimal amount and just enough to confer further improvement in batter stability without affecting the taste.About a few percent bases on sodium aluminum phosphate acidulant is used.This is more common on institutional white and yellow cake premixes made by Gold Medal Brand. Meanwhile other companies like the Pillsbury use dicalcium phosphate dihydrate which has an enhanced amount of calcium to improve batter stability and a neutral taste.

Not generally, as most of the cake recipes had a high sugar content that can offset the so called bitterness on the cake.But if you use it in cookie and pancake you may notice it.That is why in many pancake mixes they use the SAPP type acid but the best choice is still the sodium aluminum phoshate type acidulant which results in a cleaner tasting and superior quality pancakes and waffles. Even this sodium pyrophosphate type baking powder can create a peppery taste on the cakes and many people can notice it than the puckery taste of the alumimum sulfate.

I do not find these tartrate type baking powder(if still exists) in the same league as the SAPP/MCP/soda) type (Fleischmann) or much more the SAS/MCP/soda (Calumet) brands. Beside cream of tartar is more expensive than the other acidulants and therefore it will make the baking powder more costly with no advantage(but inferiority) in baking performance.

Meanwhile this so called Rumford baking powder is really a single acting type containing only monocalcium phosphate,soda and filler. See it history which was destined to replace the tartrate type:

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It can be slightly better than the tartrate type as its slower inreaction rate. But they are still fast acting and if you do not bakethe batter immediately you will see the degradation of cake quality.Itclaim for dependability is in comparison with the tartar type bakingpowder which to my opinion is still inferior.Roy

Reply to
Roy Basan

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