Baking soda has only one ingredient: sodium bicarbonate.

Sodium
bicarbonate is a base that reacts when it comes into contact with acids, like
buttermilk, yogurt or vinegar. This reaction produces carbon dioxide (CO2) in
the form of bubbles, like a liquid foam (think of the grade school experiments
involving fake volcanoes, vinegar and baking soda). When making baked
goods, the process is called “chemical leavening,” because the trapped
CO2 gas makes the dough or batter rise.

Baking powder addresses this problem because it is “double acting” — it has different
ingredients that create CO2 gas at different stages of the baking process.

All baking powders contain sodium bicarbonate (just like baking soda). But baking
powder also contains two acids. One of these acids is called monocalcium phosphate.
Monocalcium phosphate doesn’t react with the sodium bicarbonate while it’s dry. But as
soon as the baking powder is stirred into a wet dough or batter, the two ingredients
begin to react, releasing bubbles of CO2 and causing chemical leavening.

But to extend the chemical leavening process, baking powder also contains a second
acid, either sodium acid pyrophosphate or sodium aluminum sulfate. Neither of these
acids react with sodium bicarbonate until they are both: A) wet (i.e., stirred into the
batter) and B) hot.

B AKING 101: THE DIFF ERENCE BETWEEN

B AKING SOD A AND B AKI NG POWDER
I tell you this with nothing but love and understanding. I tell you this as a person who received
the most mediocre grades in middle school science. I tell you this as someone who copied her
chemistry homework from the nicest chemistry-smart boy she could find in high school. Don’t
judge. It’s just the truth.

Baking is a science. It’s important to understand the reactions.

We need to talk about baking powder and baking soda… and you can totally copy my homework
if you need to. It’s cool.

The difference between baking soda and baking powder:

Baking soda and baking powder are both odorless white powders that work their magic in our
cakes. Though they’re both white powders, the two are certainly not interchangeable. Let’s talk
about the facts behind these baking essentials.

Baking soda is also known as sodium bicarbonate. I told you we were talking science. Stay with
me.

When sodium bicarbonate meets with heat, carbon dioxide gas is formed. It’s this gas that gives
rise to our favorite cakes, cookies and biscuits. There is one drawback to the production of this
gas. When heated, sodium bicarbonate also produces sodium carbonate, which doesn ’t taste
very good. If you’ve ever eaten any metallic tasting cakes or biscuits, you know what I’m talking
about.

Thankfully, the metallic taste of sodium carbonate can be neutralized by acid. Lemon, yogurt,
buttermilk, and unsweetened natural cocoa powder can neutralize the taste of sodium carbonate
and keep our baked goods risen and lifted.

Baking powder is a mixture of baking soda and acid. Yea! Baking powder is part baking soda!
Baking powder is made up of baking soda, a powdered acid, and cornstarch.

Most baking powders are labeled ‘double-acting’ meaning they release a small amount of carbon
dioxide gas when they’re stirred into the batter or dough, but they release a majority of their
precious gas when triggered by the heat of the oven.

Because baking powder is a leavener that contains both the sodium bicarbonate and the flavor -
saving acid, it is usually paired with non-acid ingredients like whole milk and Dutch-processed
cocoa.
Volatile solvents are liquids that vaporize at room temperature. These
organicsolvents can be inhaled for psychoactive effects and are present in many
domestic and industrial products such as glue, aerosol, paints, industrial solvents,
lacquer thinners, gasoline, and cleaning fluids.