- Baking powder
Baking powder is a dry chemical
leavening agent used in cooking, mainly baking. It is most often found inquick bread s likepancake s,waffle s, andmuffin s. When dissolved in water the baking powder's ingredients react and emitcarbon dioxide gas which expands, producing bubbles to leaven the mixture. Baking powder is used instead ofyeast because its action is instantaneous, while yeast takes two to three hours to produce its leavening action. [ cite web|url=http://www.howstuffworks.com/baking-powder.htm |title=What is baking powder, and how does it work? |accessdate=2008-08-30 |publisher=howstuffworks.com ]Most modern baking powders are double acting, that is, they contain two
acid salt s, one which reacts at room temperature, producing a rise as soon as the dough or batter is prepared, and another which reacts at a higher temperature, causing a further rise during baking. Common low-temperatureacid salt s includecream of tartar ,calcium phosphate , andcitrate . High-temperature acid salts are usuallyaluminium salts, such ascalcium aluminium phosphate . Baking powders that contain only the low-temperatureacid salt s are called single acting.History
Traditional baking powder was composed of a mixture of
tartaric acid and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), a quantity offlour orcornstarch usually being added to reduce the strength. [Everyman's Encyclopaedia 1931, volume 2, page 25]While various baking powders were sold in the first half of the 19th century, our modern variants were discovered by
Alfred Bird .August Oetker , a German pharmacist, made baking powder very popular when he began selling his mixture to housewives. The same recipe he created in 1891 is still sold as "Backin" in Germany. Oetker started the mass production of baking powder in 1898 and patented his technique in 1903.Eben Norton Horsford , a student ofJustus von Liebig , who began his studies on baking powder in 1856, eventually developed a variety he named in honor ofCount Rumford . By the mid-1860s "Horsford's Yeast Powder" was on the market as an already mixed leavening agent, distinct from separate packages of calcium acid phosphate and sodium bicarbonate. This was packaged in bottles, but Horsford was interested in using metal cans for packing; this meant the mixture had to be more moisture resistant. This was accomplished by the addition of corn starch, and in 1869 Rumford began the manufacture of what can truly considered baking powder. [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Rumford Chemical Works | date= | publisher=American Chemical Society | url =http://acswebcontent.acs.org/landmarks/bakingpowder/rumford.html | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2008-10-03 | language = ]During World War II, Byron H. Smith, an inventor in Bangor, Maine, created a substitute product for American housewives, who were unable to obtain baking powder, cream of tartar or baking soda due to war food shortages. Named "Bakewell", a mixture of sodium pyrophosphate and corn starch, the product is still part of regional culinary history. When combined with baking soda, it is essentially the same as any single-acting baking powder, the only difference being that the acid is sodium pyrophosphate.
In 2006 the development of Rumford Baking Powder was designated an
ACS National Historical Chemical Landmark in recognition of its significance for making baking easier, quicker, and more reliable." [ [http://acswebcontent.acs.org/landmarks/bakingpowder/bakingpowder.html Rumford Baking Powder ] ]Usage
Generally (in countries where the cup is used as a standard measure in cookery) one
teaspoon (5ml) of baking powder is used to raise a mixture of one cup (200-250ml) of flour, one cup of liquid, and one egg. However, if the mixture is acidic, baking powder's additional acids will remain unconsumed in the chemical reaction and often lend an unpleasant chemical taste to food. High acidity can be caused by ingredients likebuttermilk , lemon,yoghurt ,citrus , orhoney . When excessive acidity is present, some of the baking powder is replaced withbaking soda . For example, one cup of flour, one egg, and one cup of buttermilk requires only ½ teaspoon of baking powder -- the remaining leavening is caused by buttermilk acids reacting with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda.Moisture and heat can cause baking powder to lose its effectiveness over time, and commercial varieties have a somewhat arbitrary expiration date printed on the container. Regardless of the expiration date, the effectiveness can be tested by placing a teaspoon of the powder into a small container of water. If it fizzes energetically, it's still active and usable. [ cite web|url=http://www.cooksillustrated.com/askcooks.asp?askcooksid=368&bdc=4416 |title=Baking Powder Expiry |accessdate=2008-08-28 |work=Cook's Illustrated.com ]
ubstituting in recipes
Baking powder is generally just
baking soda mixed with an acid, and a number of kitchen acids may be mixed with baking soda to simulate commercial blends of baking powder.Vinegar (dilute ethanoic acid), especially white vinegar, is also a common acidifier in baking; for example, many heirloom chocolate cake recipes call for a tablespoon or two of vinegar.Fact|date=October 2008 Where a recipe already usesbuttermilk oryoghurt , baking soda can be used without cream of tartar (or with less). Alternatively, lemon juice can be substituted for some of the liquid in the recipe, to provide the required acidity to activate the baking soda.Aluminum
Baking powders are available both with and without aluminum compounds.cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=All About Baking Powder | date= | publisher= | url =http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/BakingPowder.htm | work =What's Cooking America | pages = | accessdate = 2008-09-28 | language = ] Some people prefer not to use baking powder with aluminum because they believe it gives food a vaguely metallic taste, and because of a possible (but controversial) link between aluminum consumption and Alzheimer’s disease (see "
Aluminum#Health_concerns ").cite news | first=Jason | last=Horn | coauthors= | title=Mysterious White Powder | date= | publisher=cnet.com | url =http://www.chow.com/stories/10619 | work =Chow | pages = | accessdate = 2008-09-28 | language = ]ee also
*
Calumet Baking Powder Company
*Clabber Girl References
External links
* [http://www.enotes.com/how-products-encyclopedia/baking-powder Design and manufacture of baking powder]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.