Baking Powder

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Baking powder is probably the most popular leavening agent, which chefs and housewives around the world use to make puffed, tasty and pleasant-looking pastries, such as cakes, pies, cakes, pastries, muffins, cakes and biscuits, etc. Literally translated from German, backpulver means baking powder (bak - baking, pulver - powder).

The baking powder is a white powder consisting mainly of baking soda and limontose, usually in a ratio of 2: 1. The leavening agent has the ability to increase the volume of the dough we prepare. This is due to the interaction between soda, which is a basic / alkaline medium, and limontosuto acid, which, after a joint reaction, emit carbon dioxide.

Carbon dioxide is our well-known bubbles that turn pastries into fluffy pleasures for the palate. All this takes place in the presence of a separator, which does not allow the two substances to mix and react too actively.

Unlike yeast, which involves the fermentation of living microorganisms, baking powder acts only on the basis of chemical reactions. In general, ordinary baking powder should always contain baking soda and limontose in a ratio of 2: 1, but there are often various additives, such as some kind of starch (corn), sometimes even vanilla.

The history of the swells in its original form can be traced back to the middle of the 18th century, but en masse baking powder, as we use it today, came into use at the beginning of the last century. And while leavening agents have changed little over the last 100 years, manufacturers are always looking for new ways to make bigger profits.

Perhaps the leavening agents of the future can be mixed with different ingredients to improve the taste of the final product. It is possible that a special species will appear baking powder for different types of dough and to emphasize different characteristics, such as the speed of the reaction that takes place, the residual taste, or just easier mixing with other products. In addition, manufacturers are expected to find even cheaper production methods in the future.

This first friend of pasta and confectionery is activated only in the presence of water or other liquid / moisture in the dough. The acid then reacts with the base and the result is the release of a large amount of carbon dioxide. The resulting bubbles in the dough pierce it with air and increase its volume during baking.

Baking powder composition

- Kremotartar (potassium tartrate or monopotassium salt of tartaric acid), also called "pure tartar" and is obtained by processing the juices of various fruits, where it is naturally contained. In baking powder it plays the role of an acidifier. At home it is replaced with limontose / citric acid or tartaric acid.

- Bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate) - non-aggressive leavening agent. In the composition of baking powder this is the basis.

- Cornstarch, which is produced from organically grown maize. In the composition of the baking powder, the starch acts as a separator, which protects the dough from premature swelling by slowing down the mixing of the acid with the base.

Composition of the purchased baking powder

In a package baking powder, which you buy from the penny store, can often contain various ingredients from baking soda and limontozu. If you look at the contents of the back of the package, you will see the presence of leavening agents, sodium bicarbonate, sodium pyrophosphate, corn starch. Quite often on the back of the baking powder is written neither the proportions of the ingredients nor the type of starch used.

Baking powder composition:

63% baking soda (5/8)

25% potassium tartrate or lemon juice (1/4)

12% bionic (1/8)

or in 1 year baking powder contains:

0.625 g of baking soda

0.250 g limontozu (at home)

0.125starch

Although negligible, the amount of starch in the baking powder makes the whole packet of white powder a source of phosphates, gluten and lactose. People with a problem with gluten and lactose should use gluten-free baking powder or organic baking powder that does not contain phosphate and gluten. Gluten-free baking powder contains: corn starch, tartar, sodium bicarbonate (soda).

Choice of baking powder and dosages in cooking

In general, the amount of baking powder you need to use depends on the specific recipe, but cakes use about 1 teaspoon of baking powder per 1 teaspoon of flour. One pack of 10 g baking powder (1 sachet) is enough to prepare 500 g of flour.

The baking powder is a product with a short shelf life. This means that you should always look at the expiration date stamped on the package. After opening, be sure to store in a dry and cool place, in a tightly closed package or container. If you leave the baking powder open, it will easily absorb moisture from the air and will eventually become unusable.

If you have doubts about the quality of the product, then do the following easy experiment. Dissolve ½ tsp. baking powder in ½ h.h. lukewarm water. Stir and if it does not foam, then the baking powder is unfit.

Let's make baking powder at home

It has never happened to any housewife that she does not have a package at a certain moment baking powder, just when it is needed. In principle, this should not bother us, because you can prepare baking powder yourself quite easily. All you have to do is mix equal parts soda and limontozu or in a ratio of 2: 1. Instead of limontozu you can even use vinegar, in small quantities.

Recipe for homemade baking powder: 1 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. limontose and a small pinch of starch.