I know what you need right now. Science. You need some in your life. To fill that gaping hole that you have buried deep within your heart. It's ok. That's why I am here, to help you. We can take a little adventure down leavening agent road. For breads that are made with yeast, yeast is the leavening agent. It is the go to apparatus that makes the bread rise and what gives bread such an airy texture. Want to do an experiment? Go to your kitchen. Find a slice of bread, like sandwich bread or a baguette. Look very closely at it. You can see very slight holes in the bread where the gas that was released from the yeast was released when the bread was being baked. Fancy. Now if you are so lucky to have a piece of banana or pumpkin bread at hand, you can see that same airy texture is not there. Breads that do not take yeast are dense, rich, and usually moist.
For breads that are made without yeast, the two most common leavening agents are baking powder and baking soda. These two are very different entities. We use baking powders and baking sodas for the same reason we use yeast, to release carbon dioxide when the bread is baking. The use of baking powders and baking sodas, however, are different. We use these when the dough that we are working with is too runny to hold the gas bubbles in (McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. New York: Scribner, 2004).
For breads that are made without yeast, the two most common leavening agents are baking powder and baking soda. These two are very different entities. We use baking powders and baking sodas for the same reason we use yeast, to release carbon dioxide when the bread is baking. The use of baking powders and baking sodas, however, are different. We use these when the dough that we are working with is too runny to hold the gas bubbles in (McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. New York: Scribner, 2004).
Baking Soda
- Is made of sodium bicarbonate
- Can rise bread on its own, if the bread has the right kind and amount of acids to react with
- Milk will neutralize baking soda
Baking Powder
- Contains alkaline baking soda and acid in the form of solid crystals
- Usually the chemical components are mixed with ground dry starch so that chemical reactions do not occur when in contact with liquids
- When baking powder is added to a liquid it dissolves almost immediately
- "Double Acting": This means that baking powder will help the dough/batter rise when first mixed and then again when it is being baked.
Fun Fact: Baking Soda causes the reddening of cocoa powder when baked. Thus, we have "Devil's Food Cake" source
* Source: McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. New York: Scribner, 2004.
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