Is baking powder the same as baking soda and bicarbonate of soda?
WE all know how disastrous it can be if you get just one part of a recipe wrong - let alone an ingredient.
And when a dish includes baking soda, baking powder or bicarbonate of soda, there's bound to be a bit of confusion. So are the three the same or different?
What is bicarbonate of soda?
Bicarbonate of soda is widely considered to be the most necessary out of the baking substance family. But to avoid confusion, the white powder used in many cake recipes is also known as sodium bicarbonate, and is made up of a mixture of sodium and hydrogen carbonate.
How to use it?
The product, which can be bought in supermarkets, is mainly use for baking. The most common use is to help baked goods rise and it's a key component in preparing cakes or soda bread. When the alkaline is mixed with an acidic ingredient, such as brown sugar and a liquid such as milk, it creates carbon dioxide. This causes the mixture to expand before it’s replaced with air, resulting in light and fluffy baked goods that even Mary Berry would approve of. However, that's far from bicarbonate of soda's only use, as it's also a super-effective but gentle abrasive and a great natural deodoriser. And, it has been regularly recommended by cleaning experts as one of the most effective great natural cleaners. It can be used to clean dirty mattresses and polish tarnished jewellery, and it even works to get the kitchen sink sparkling.
What is baking powder?
Baking powder is made up of numerous elements – one of these is sodium bicarbonate, above. Unlike sodium bicarbonate which requires an acid and a liquid to become activated, baking powder only needs a liquid. That's because baking powder already includes acid, usually in the form of cream of tartar. Because it incorporates both acid and bicarbonate of soda, baking powder won't leaven your recipe quite as much as pure bicarbonate of soda would. That's why some recipes call for both baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
How to use it?
As it says on the tin, baking powder is used in the kitchen for various baking recipes. Not only does it help increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked goods, but it's also made up of cream of tartar plus a filler, like cornflour or rice flour, which absorbs moisture. Because baking powder already has an acid in it, it’s pretty much a pre-packaged version of sodium bicarbonate – so generally you just need to add water to it to create the same reaction. While it is also used for similar foods as sodium bicarbonate, some people have other uses for it too. Beauty fans have said they've reached for it to make their own dry shampoo, as well as using it to fake a sun-kissed look with a nose contour.
What is baking soda?
This is where things get slightly more complicated - baking soda is just another name for sodium bicarbonate.
Some might assume that baking soda is more similar to baking powder than sodium bicarbonate, but this is not the case.
So if your recipe calls for both baking soda and baking powder, you must use both ingredients or risk the wrong amount of leavening - and we know no one likes a deflated cake.
How to use it?
Just like sodium bicarbonate, baking soda is a common rising agent used in a lot of food - particularly baked goods. But it too has many uses around the rest of the home. Although it might sound strange at first, it also proves effective in whitening stained teeth and freshening your breath. After all, many toothpaste products do list baking soda as a main ingredient if you look closely at the packaging.
Do you know the difference between pancakes and crepes? Here's the difference between American, French and British pancakes - but be warned, you may get hungry. And if you fancy getting creative in the kitchen, then check out these brilliant NUTELLA recipes. We also told you how to curl your hair with straighteners.