Questions tagged [baking-soda]

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43 votes
4 answers
15k views

What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?

And can I use one in place of the other in certain recipes?
thelsdj's user avatar
  • 1,069
32 votes
4 answers
59k views

How can I tell if this is baking soda or powder?

Sure it'd be easier and cheap to just buy new soda and powder but I'm curious. I had a jar of either baking soda or powder. The marker with which I'd labeled it rubbed off during a house move and I ...
brenzo's user avatar
  • 431
22 votes
8 answers
409k views

How should baking soda be used to tenderize meat?

At some Chinese restaurants, I've had beef dishes where the meat was unusually tender. It also has a somewhat unusual texture, which is hard to describe. I understand that this is a result of using ...
erichui's user avatar
  • 777
20 votes
4 answers
71k views

Can/should I use baking soda when cooking beans?

My recipe for hummus says to cook the garbanzo beans with a little baking soda to soften them. Does this work with other legumes? I've often seen the advice against salting the cooking water for ...
Rob Lewis's user avatar
  • 660
19 votes
3 answers
56k views

Baking soda as a substitute for baking powder

I am making a pancake recipe that calls for 2 teaspoons of baking powder, which I do not have. I was wondering if it would be ok to use baking soda as a substitute, and if so, how much would I need ...
orange's user avatar
  • 193
18 votes
4 answers
77k views

Why should I boil pretzels in baking soda water before baking?

This weekend I made pretzels from Alton Brown's recipe. This recipe, and others I've seen, call for dipping the pretzels one by one in boiling water with baking soda for 30 to 60 seconds. I assume ...
stephennmcdonald's user avatar
18 votes
4 answers
104k views

How to make baking soda

I'm in a place where buying baking soda is proving to be quite difficult*, so I was looking for substitutions, and it seems there really aren't any. So this got me thinking: Baking soda is made (or ...
Flimzy's user avatar
  • 2,774
14 votes
8 answers
188k views

Substitution for baking soda in pancakes

I attempted to make pancakes this morning, only to discover that I was out of baking soda. I tried substituting baking powder, but it didn't work at all. The pancakes didn't bubble on the griddle, and ...
Martha F.'s user avatar
  • 7,442
13 votes
1 answer
17k views

Can I use baking powder in place of baking soda for dipping pretzels?

I made pretzel dough and its ready to be shaped. Somehow I have no baking soda left. Can I use baking powder in place of baking soda? Or is there something else I can use for the dipping step? What ...
Catsunami's user avatar
  • 305
12 votes
5 answers
209k views

If I can't find baking soda or baking powder, what should I do?

Suppose I'm somewhere where stores don't seem to stock baking soda or baking powder. Are there other names either of those might be sold under? Or are there things I could substitute? Related: How ...
Cascabel's user avatar
  • 58.2k
12 votes
7 answers
16k views

How long does bicarbonate soda (baking soda) keep?

I am thinking of baking biscuits for presents for Christmas. However, the recipe calls for baking soda, and I cook from scratch fairly rarely, so I'm worried the leftover bicarb will go strange in my ...
Margaret's user avatar
  • 291
10 votes
3 answers
19k views

Can I store dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, etc) together?

I am planning on making a bunch of gingerbread this year, the recipe I use takes both baking powder and baking soda. In order to cut down on dishes and time I thought I might mix all of the dry ...
binarylegit's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
414 views

Interpreting a recipe from Mrs Beeton: "carbonate of soda"

Prompted by a discussion at English.se I may be going to make Mrs Beeton's soda biscuits recipe: SODA BISCUITS. INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of flour, 1/2 lb. of pounded loaf sugar, 1/4 lb. of fresh butter, 2 ...
Chris H's user avatar
  • 43.7k
10 votes
2 answers
23k views

Why should I bake baking soda for making ramen noodles?

I see this recipe for ramen noodles ("alkaline noodles") that says to use bicarb / baking soda that is baked in a very slow oven for an hour (250F / 120C) before incorporating into the noodle dough. ...
hoc_age's user avatar
  • 2,831
9 votes
2 answers
51k views

does washing vegetables and fruit with baking soda make sense?

I have checked the other questions about washing vegetables and fruit, but they don't mention baking soda. Google brings up only unreliable (random blogs that give no reference) or biased (baking soda ...
Walter A. Aprile's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
5k views

What provides the acid for leavening in this banana bread recipe?

I have made this banana bread recipe a couple of times. The ingredients are: All-purpose flour Salt Brown sugar Baking soda Bananas Butter Eggs My understanding is that baking soda requires some ...
verbose's user avatar
  • 1,537
9 votes
1 answer
4k views

Why is there so much baking soda in scones?

I am a German living in Australia and I am generally quite happy with Australian food. However I do not understand why there is so much baking soda in scones. One would buy self-raising flour and even ...
Amelse Etomer's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
259 views

How can I skin hazelnuts at home?

I am trying to make a hazelnut butter, for the ultimate gain of a vegan Nutella-like outcome, but in order to do so I need to use "skinned" hazelnuts. I've tried the following: Boil a cup ...
tacotacotaco's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
14k views

Baking soda to cancel acidity?

Simple question: can you generally use baking soda to cancel acidity in your dishes? For instance, sometimes tomato sauce is too acidic, or you put too much vinegar in some dish, etc. The simple ...
user76575's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
3k views

Soda Bread disaster

I've just tried to make this recipe from the BBC Good Food site: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/simple-soda-bread. The only variation was I used semi-skimmed milk (2% fat) instead of the whole ...
rojomoke's user avatar
  • 300
6 votes
3 answers
4k views

Baking soda accident in pretzel dough - Can it be salvaged?

I made a mistake and put the baking soda in the pretzel dough! Instead of using it for its intended purpose ( Boiling the pretzel dough in it before baking.) It was a box mix: Pretzel Creations ...
Jessica Brunelle's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

Cleaning with baking soda stains?

I cooked some ribs and used a baking sheet under my rack. Later I cleaned the greasy bits by soaking the baking sheet and rack in a baking soda solution until the water was gone. Then I added vinegar ...
maininformer's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
558 views

Irish soda bread kneading process

I do understand how soda reacts with buttermilk but I do not know when. Does this happens during the baking process or does the reactions starts soon as they are mixed together? The question i want to ...
JIV's user avatar
  • 163
5 votes
2 answers
12k views

Storing Baking Soda

How can I store baking soda outside of the box it comes in? I buy baking soda in the orange box all the time however, I don't use it that often but hate leaving it in that box. Is there a proper way ...
Buildstarted's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
1k views

Will frozen mangos work as a substitute for apples?

So, I have an old box of Koopman Oud-Hollandse Appelkaneel cake mix, which lists on its ingredients "Raising Agents 450 and 500", and looking online, it appears that Raising Agent 500 is ...
nick012000's user avatar
  • 1,028
5 votes
3 answers
919 views

Why is baking soda included in sourdough cracker recipe?

I'm following a recipe for crackers made with unfed sourdough starter (other ingredients are flour, oil, and salt). It also calls for 1/4 tsp baking soda and I'm wondering why since the dough sits on ...
Arlo's user avatar
  • 694
4 votes
3 answers
4k views

Cake without baking soda

I have this delicious recipe for flourless almond cake: 1 1/2 cups whole almonds, toasted 4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated 1/2 cup honey 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 ...
Zeina's user avatar
  • 1,300
4 votes
1 answer
6k views

Waay too much baking soda, can I salvage these tea buscuits somehow?

I baked something from the 2014 Canadian Milk Calendar's April page, cheddar onion tea buscuits, but I didn't have cream of tartar nor baking powder, and in a rush I substituted far too much baking ...
Kev's user avatar
  • 153
4 votes
2 answers
6k views

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 ...
Ink blot's user avatar
  • 583
4 votes
1 answer
996 views

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's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
620 views

Cleaning silver with aluminum

Will the silver get broken down (disappear a little bit) when cleaning silver utensils with boiling water, baking soda and aluminium?
Enthuziast's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

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 ...
Collin Dauphinee's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
2k views

How do I bake chocolate chip cookies like Subway?

I want a chocolate chip cookie like the ones Subway has. Those cookies have a smooth top and chewy texture. I have a recipe for 3/4 cup fat, 0.5 cup sugar 0,5 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup flour, 1 egg, 2 ...
christen's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
925 views

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 ...
dennismv's user avatar
  • 251
3 votes
2 answers
11k views

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 ...
Cognitive Hazard's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
1k views

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 ...
metacubed's user avatar
  • 594
3 votes
1 answer
672 views

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 ...
Maggie's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
2 answers
214 views

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 ...
jrc's user avatar
  • 131
3 votes
2 answers
9k views

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'...
Irregular User's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
11k views

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 ...
Debbie M.'s user avatar
  • 5,468
3 votes
1 answer
77 views

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'...
Dannie's user avatar
  • 183
3 votes
1 answer
203 views

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 ...
Jay's user avatar
  • 133
2 votes
3 answers
2k views

How to bake baking soda to produce sodium carbonate?

I'd like to make sodium carbonate for ramen noodles. The instructions on the web however vary greatly. One source says to bake baking soda at 350 degrees for 2-5 hours. Others say 250 degrees for an ...
user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
51k views

cake baking problem (white lumps of flour)

I have a cake recipe called oil cake that has been in my family for a long time. It calls for flour and sugar and to make a well and add egg, buttermilk, cocoa, pinch of salt, cinnamon, and oil. Then ...
user27253's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
3k views

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 ...
Felicia's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes
2 answers
1k views

When does baking soda make a dough taste bitter?

There are times when I have accidentally mixed up baking powder and baking soda in a recipe resulting in a bitter, almost metallic tasting dough. However, my signature pancake recipe uses a mix of ...
Carina's user avatar
  • 135
2 votes
1 answer
173 views

Why adding soda without vinegar to the cake batter?

I have this well-rated chocolate cake recipe that I have not baked yet. It's ingredients (among others) are 175g self-raising flour 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda My understanding is that soda is needed ...
Yulia V's user avatar
  • 693
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Is Erythritol acid or alkaline and what is it's pH compared to brown sugar?

Is Erythritol acid or alkaline and what is it's pH compared to brown sugar? In many baking recipes, baking soda is added together with acidic ingredients, such as brown sugar. Also, this way, the ...
Joao's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes
1 answer
9k views

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's user avatar
  • 133
2 votes
3 answers
3k views

Does acidity negate double-acting baking powder?

As described here, most common baking powders contain two acids, one that reacts to moisture, and one that mostly reacts when heated. Does that mean that if my dough is already acidic (and has no ...
Hinrik's user avatar
  • 123