What actually is the difference between baking soda and powder?

Baking powder is baking soda plus an acid (often tartaric acid, but citric and malic are probably also used in some products). They will start to react and produce CO2 as soon as you get the baking powder wet, whereas baking soda produces CO2 by thermal decomposition.

If you want to replace baking powder with baking soda in a recipe then you should probably supply some acid to compensate (e.g. a squeeze of lemon juice, if that fits the flavour profile). The other way round is trickier; it might work in some recipes but not others.

posted about 3 years ago

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Peter Taylor‭

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Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, needing an acid to activate, while baking powder contains both an acid and base, reacting independently, essential to rising in baked goods.

posted 3 months ago

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reinventrmc‭

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Baking soda and baking powder are both leavening agents, but they work differently. Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate and needs an acid (like lemon juice, yogurt, or vinegar) to produce carbon dioxide, which helps dough rise. Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate plus an acid and a moisture absorber, so it can leaven baked goods on its own. Essentially, baking soda requires an acid, while baking powder is self-contained and ready to use.

posted 6 months ago

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SGRCatering‭

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