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Questions tagged [baking-soda]

84 questions
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How are chemical leaveners affected by moisture and cool temperature?

This is maybe a more precise way of asking, "what happens to left over batter in the fridge?" This question might have to approached per leavening agent.
Matt Broerman
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Undoing the flavor effects of baking soda in cooking

I recently learned that if you put a bit of sodium bicarbonate on onion when frying it, the onion will literally melt away. This is absolutely amazing, and I love that trick. But I tried it now when I was cooking some tomato sauce, and while the…
Ink blot
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How can I tell whether my baking recipe has enough acid to activate the baking soda?

I've been trying to modify my grandmother's oatmeal cookie recipe to use less brown sugar, but all of my batches are coming out with a slightly 'metallic' taste. I've attributed this to the baking soda; the recipe contains molasses and brown sugar,…
Collin Dauphinee
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sherbet: adding a base or not?

When you hear sherbet (powder) described by the "science is fun" camp, it's made of three components: a sugar, an acid, and a base (almost always bicarb). I also think this is the kind of sherbet that's in kids sweets. I prefer the taste without…
Dannie
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How to get intended taste using baking powder instead of acid + baking soda?

A coffee cake recipe calls for using sour cream and baking soda. I understand that acid + baking soda is a leavening agent and you can use them as a substitute for baking powder. But I only have baking powder. If I use baking powder instead, will…
Jay
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Replacements for baking soda in a cake

Sometimes I wish to bake a cake, but the country where I am in doesn't have baking soda. I have tried using actual soda, but this has limited success and the cake tends to just rise and then fall. I've already read this question on substitutions for…
Irregular User
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How long can batter sit before chemical leaveners lose their power?

Background: I can not fit 2 - 12 muffin tins in my oven in a manner that will result in 24 nicely baked muffins or cupcakes. I am using everyday muffin or cupcake recipes that use baking powder and or baking soda. Can I leave half the batter on the…
Debbie M.
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Can I make any modern improvements to this Russian cake recipe from 1971?

I found a recipe in a 1971 Russian booklet on holiday recipes, (see it below). I translated it to English. My questions about the recipe will be these: are there any advancements known to culinary science that will bring this recipe to 21st…
dennismv
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Why pre-mix baking soda into 2 tsp of milk?

I am not much of a cook, but about this time every year, I pull out a favorite family recipe for cookies. My grandmother made these cookies for me when I was a child, and when I got older she wrote their recipe down for me. There is one aspect of…
Cognitive Hazard
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Effect of undutched cocoa on baking

I'm trying to add unsweetened non-dutched cocoa powder to a biscotti recipe (this one). I've read that this type of cocoa is strongly acidic. Will I need to make any changes to the quantities of baking powder? Should I just use baking soda instead…
metacubed
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Increasing my pancake recipe..Are soda and salt in a different ratio than the other ingredients?

I need to increase my pancake recipe 4.5 times. I seem to remember that the salt and soda are increased at a smaller ratio than the rest of the ingredients. Is that true, and what is the correct ratio for salt and baking soda?
Maggie
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Can I use tartaric acid in making Snickerdoodles?

I am following the Cook's Illustrated recipe for Snickerdoodles, which calls for a 2:1 ratio of cream of tartar to baking soda. They state explicitly at the very top of the recipe: Cream of tartar is essential to the flavor of these cookies and…
jrc
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pizza with baking soda instead of yeast

I have a friend who is allergic to yeast so I'm looking for a way to make a pizza dough with baking powder instead of it. Should I add a bit of lemon juice to counteract the baking soda?
maugch
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How can I test if I've added baking soda to my cake batter?

I have prepared some cake mix and while I know I added baking powder, I don't remember whether I have added baking soda in it! Is there anyway to check this (of course without baking the mix ;-). ) This is wheat-based eggless cake. The mix contains…
Smita
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Does one really need to add sodium bicarbonate if one already uses baking powder?

I find that sodium bicarbonate ruins the taste of many cakes and cookies. If I'm using double acting baking powder, do I need to add the sodium bicarbonate as well? I have come accross so many recipes that require both ingredients.
Felicia
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