Baking Powder vs Baking Soda

What’s the difference between baking powder vs baking soda? This question is very popular. I’m going to go over the differences and how they both work!

Baking soda:

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Baking soda reacts when acidic ingredients and liquid combine and are heated. Heat (above the temperatures of 80 °C or 180 °F) causes the mixture to produce carbon dioxide. This reaction makes your baked goods rise. Some common acidic ingredients are: vinegar, buttermilk, citrus, yogurt, cream of tartar, and cocoa.

Baking Powder:

Baking powder is a dry mixture of a carbonate or bicarbonate and an acid. It also produces carbon dioxide to increase the volume of your baked goods.It doesn’t need the additional acidic ingredient like baking soda does. It can react to water. Baking powder is usually “double acting”. This means that it starts working right away when it comes into contact with a liquid, and again when it’s placed into the oven.

Are baking soda and baking powder interchangeable?

Answer:  They can! Here’s a few pointers on how.

You have baking soda but the recipe calls for baking powder:

Answer:  You will need up to 3 times as much baking powder than the recipe calls for in baking soda. This can leave you with an acidic or bitter taste depending on the recipe.

You have baking powder but the recipe calls for baking soda:

Answer:  You will need to use much less baking soda than the recipe calls for in baking powder. Baking soda is much more powerful than baking powder. You will also need to add an acidic ingredient for it to react with.

I’ll keep adding posts on different ingredients and how they work so that those of you who are interested in developing your own recipes, can!