5 Difference Between Baking soda and baking powder

Baking soda and baking powder are two leavening agents which are widely used in the bakery industry. Without these chemicals, our favorite cookies are incomplete because baking soda and baking powder provide a softness, light, and airy nature. Everyone knows about them but no one knows the difference between baking soda and baking powder. In this article, we discuss the difference between baking soda and baking powder their properties, use, and chemical compositions.

Baking Soda Vs Baking Powder

Baking Soda	Baking Powder
It contains only one ingredient which is sodium bicarbonate.	it contains more than one ingredient like bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate, and sodium aluminate sulfate
Baking soda Reacts immediately with the contact of acids	Baking powder doesn’t react immediately when exposed to acids
it has a short leavening process	it creates a long process in which carbon dioxide released in stages
Baking soda based in nature	Baking powder contains acids itself
Products are less airy and light	Products are more airy and light
Mostly used for chewy cookies	Mostly used for the light and airy cookies.
Need Acids to react.	Don’t need acids to react
Don’t need heat for reaction.	Need heat to react.

What is baking soda?

Baking soda is a chemical agent which is mostly used for baking meals. Chemically it is known as the sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda. It is a base alkaline chemical compound. So when it comes in the contact with acids it produces carbon dioxide as bubble forms. The reaction with the acids neutralizes the acids and generates carbon dioxide gas.

The acids which we used for eating like lemon, buttermilk, and brown sugar. When baking soda reacts with these acids carbon dioxide is produced which leads the batter to rise. If we don’t use baking soda our cookies will be so dense and our cakes wouldn’t be so good as presents. When baking soda reacts with the acids large amount of carbon dioxide is produced in bubble form and it gets trapped inside the food. In this way, baking soda decreases the density of the food.

The chemical formula of baking soda  – NaHCO3 (Sodium bicarbonate)

Other Uses of Baking Soda

1. Mouthwash:- Baking soda is very good to maintain the hygiene of the mouth. Baking soda is very effective because it reaches every corner of the mouth.
2. Teeth whitener:- Baking soda is also used as a home remedy to clean yellow teeth.
3. Deodorant:- Baking soda is also used for deodorant because it is based. When our sweat comes in the contact with bacteria. These bacteria convert our sweat into acidic waste which releases the smell. Baking soda helps to neutralize the acidic waste.
4. Whitening agent:- Baking soda is very good for the cleaning of clothes.
5. Stain remover
6. Bathroom cleaning
7. Pesticide remover from fruit and vegetable.

What is baking powder?

Baking powder is the combination of baking soda and some other dry acids like sodium aluminate sulfate and monocalcium phosphate. The main advantage of baking powder is it is in dry form and it reacts only when it comes in contact with liquids. Baking powder is a self-contained chemical reaction that generates carbon dioxide with a combination of liquids.

Types of baking powder

1. Single-acting baking powders:- single-acting baking powders are mostly the same as baking soda. They release carbon dioxide too quickly in the early stages. These types of powders are generally used where products are made immediately after the mixing. These days single-acting baking powders are not sold for general baking purposes.
2. Double-acting baking powder:- these are the chemical agents which initially release carbon dioxide when they react with the water. But for further reaction they need heat.

Baking soda completes its reactions in the initial stages and all the gas is produced at one time. But some recipes need further reaction to overcome this problem. Baking powder is the solution for this problem. Baking powder contains two additional chemicals which of them is monocalcium phosphate. This chemical doesn’t react with sodium bicarbonate in the dry stage. But when it comes in the contact with the liquid the reaction is started and carbon dioxide Is released.

Baking powder also contains a second chemical sodium aluminate sulfate. This chemical reacts only with heat. Sodium aluminate sulfate reaction is increased with the increase in the heat or temperature. When we put our recipe in the Owen the reaction of the sodium aluminate sulfate starts. This process remains long time which results in more carbon dioxide bubbles.

Substitutes of Baking powder

1. Whipped egg whites:- it is the best substitute for baking powder because whipped eggs are filled with small air bubbles.
2. Mix oneself:- Mix baking soda with the tartar cream at home in this way you can easily make baking powder.
3. Replace the liquids in the recipe with the club soda.

The main difference between baking soda and baking powder.

1. Baking soda contains only one ingredient which is sodium bicarbonate. While baking powder contains more than one ingredient like bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate, and sodium aluminate sulfate.
2. Baking soda Reacts immediately with the contact of acids. Baking powder doesn’t react immediately when exposed to acids.
3. Baking soda has a short leavening process. Baking soda creates a long process in which carbon dioxide is released in stages.
4. The products which are made by the use of baking soda are not good as baking powder used products.
5. Baking soda is based on nature. While baking powder contains acids itself. So the nature is different of both these baking products.

Conclusion

Baking soda and baking powder are almost the same in their properties. We can easily use them at places of one another but there will be a change in quantity. For example, if we use baking powder instead of baking soda we have to use 3 times baking powder than baking soda. Both of these chemicals are acid or base. If we see their use in food both are used to make food airy, light, and chewy. Mostly we use baking powder for light and airy cookies. While baking soda is used for the chewy cookies.

This is all about the difference between Baking soda and baking powder. We hope this article will be very helpful to you. If you have any doubt please feel free to comment on us. If you want to know more Differences visit our site.