All About  >  Baking Soda

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Description

• Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is used as a leavening agent when a recipe contains acid ingredients.
  
  
• Baking soda, an alkaline ingredient, plus an acid ingredient, such as buttermilk, vinegar, molasses or sour cream creates a chemical reaction to form carbon dioxide gas in a baked product making it rise and become light and porous.
  
  
• Heat is not necessary for the chemical reaction, so the reaction begins as soon as liquid ingredients are added. Therefore, products leavened with baking soda should be baked immediately after mixing or the gases will escape and the product will not rise.
  
  

Storage

• Store baking soda tightly covered in a dry place. Baking soda loses strength with age, so fresh is best. It stays fresh for about one year.
  
  

Substitutions

• There is no substitution for baking soda.