bicarb or baking powder?

foreversomeday

I have a recipe which specifies 1tsp bicarbonate of soda, but only have baking powder. Can I substitute it? And do I need to use more or less or the same amount?

Also, can I make gingerbread dough and leave it in the fridge overnight to be rolled out and cooked tomorrow?

furndire

One of these might help

http://www.joyofbaking.com/bakingsoda.html

http://chemistry.about.com/cs/foodchemistry/f/blbaking.htm

thriftlady_2

No, you can't substitute one for the other. They are different things.

Bicarbonate of soda is an alkali.
Baking powder contains a mixture of an alkali and an acid.

When an alkali and an acid combine in the moist, hot atmosphere of a baking cake they undergo a chemical reaction which results in a gas which helps your cake to rise.

If you only have an alkali (bicarb) then you won't get the necessary reaction unless you also have an acidic ingredient -for example buttermilk, lemon juice, yogurt.

Hope that's right Penelope Penguin:D

I think your gingerbread dough will be fine left in the fridge;)

foreversomeday

According to that link though I can use baking powder, since it is b. of soda that I need - but I couldn't do if it was the other way around.

Penelope_Penguin

thriftlady wrote: »

No, you can't substitute one for the other. They are different things.

Bicarbonate of soda is an alkali.
Baking powder contains a mixture of an alkali and an acid.

When an alkali and an acid combine in the moist, hot atmosphere of a baking cake they undergo a chemical reaction which results in a gas which helps your cake to rise.

If you only have an alkali (bicarb) then you won't get the necessary reaction unless you also have an acidic ingredient -for example buttermilk, lemon juice, yogurt.

Hope that's right Penelope Penguin:D

That's correct For a bonus point, can you name the gas And no conferring with DS

Penny. x

GrEyFoX_4

i find that eating them both disagrees with me

maybe it needs to be seived

thriftlady_2

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

That's correct For a bonus point, can you name the gas And no conferring with DS

Penny. x

:rotfl:Stab in the dark here -carbon dioxide

Penelope_Penguin

thriftlady wrote: »

:rotfl:Stab in the dark here -carbon dioxide

Go to the top of the class

I'll add this to the exisitng thread on bicarb and baking powder later, to keep ideas together.

Penny. x

Butterfly_Brain

GrEyFoX wrote: »

i find that eating them both disagrees with me

maybe it needs to be seived

Have you tried gluten free baking powder and Bicarbonate of soda? Asda and Sainsburys stock it.

Butterfly_Brain

Baking Powder can be made by adding cream of tartar to bicarbonate of soda