#helpful baking tips

Baking soda and baking powder are essential for lifting quick breads in the oven. They give breads their fluffy, porous texture. But should you use baking powder or baking soda for your next recipe? Are they interchangeable? Let’s take a look at the difference between the two and how they affect your quick bread.

A Closer Look at Baking Soda

Baking soda is the common name for the chemical leavener sodium bicarbonate. It has a variety of uses from cleaning clothes to easing heartburn to treating bug bites. When combined with an acidic ingredient, baking soda produces a lot of carbon dioxide gas bubbles.

If you add baking soda to a quick bread, the gas bubbles it releases into the batter lifts your bread. When the combination of baking soda and acid combines with heat, proteins in the batter (like eggs) turn rigid. The rigid structure traps the gas and results in a light, fluffy texture. This reaction happens fast and weakens over time. As a result, you should only mix your baking soda into your batter right before you put your bread in the oven.

Baking soda is about 3 to 4 times stronger than baking powder, but only when combined with an acidic ingredient. Without an acid to neutralize, leftover baking soda in your bread will taste metallic and soapy. Consequently, baking soda works best in recipes that use acidic ingredients such as buttermilk, yogurt, lemon juice, cream of tartar, or vinegar.

Not sure how much baking soda to add to your recipes? As a general rule, aim for 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda for every 1 cup of flour.

A Closer Look at Baking Powder

Baking powder uses baking soda has its key ingredient. Many baking powder brands combine sodium bicarbonate with an acidic component (such as cream of tartar) and a starch component (such as cornstarch).

As with baking soda, baking powder also releases gas bubbles into your quick bread, giving it a softer, fluffier texture in the oven. But because baking powder already has an acid to react with, you don’t need to worry about including molasses, cocoa powder, applesauce, or honey to your quick bread recipe to ensure a proper rise.

Not sure how much baking soda to add to your recipes? As a general rule, aim for 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every 1 cup of flour.

What About Double-Acting Baking Powder?

In the past, stores sold two types of baking powder: single acting and double acting. However, double-acting baking powder has long since replaced single-acting products, and you won’t likely find single-acting baking powder on the shelves anymore.

Essentially, double-acting baking powder has two reactions that produce gas. The first reaction occurs whenever dry baking powder combines with a wet ingredient. To maximize the lifting that occurs during this first reaction, you need to add baking powder at the end of your mixing stage and quickly finish your bread.

The second reaction that produces gas occurs when baking powder has access to moisture and heat. Consequently, your bread will still rise in the oven even if you don’t fully capitalize on that first reaction.

Can You Substitute One for the Other?

If you’ve run out of baking powder or baking soda, you could potentially substitute one for the other. However, they are not equal in strength or behave exactly the same, so you’ll have to exercise a bit of caution. Do not assume they are interchangeable.

Using Baking Powder Instead of Baking Soda?

For every teaspoon of baking soda in a recipe, triple the amount of baking powder you use.

1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda = 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder.

And because baking powder has quite a bit of sodium, you’ll need to cut the salt in your recipe by half.

Using Baking Soda Instead of Baking Powder?

You can make your own baking powder if you have baking soda, cream of tartar, and cornstarch.

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder = 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda + 1/2 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar + 1/4 Teaspoon Cornstarch

Don’t have cream of tartar? You can still make a baking powder substitute so long as you have an acidic ingredient.

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder = 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda +1 Teaspoon White Vinegar (or 1 Teaspoon of Lemon Juice)

Keep in mind that white vinegar or lemon juice can affect the flavor of your food, so you may need an extra tablespoon or two of sugar to compensate.

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Gluten gets a lot of negative attention these days thanks to the dieting industry. Many influencers claim that by eliminating gluten from the foods you eat, you can boost your energy levels and maintain a healthy weight.

But is gluten really that bad? How does gluten actually affect you? And should you remove it from your baking?

Let’s take a closer look at gluten to answer some of the most commonly asked questions by beginning bakers.

What Is Gluten?

Gluten is a catch-all term for storage proteins found in certain grains, specifically wheat, rye, barley, and triticale. These naturally occurring proteins like to stick together, creating a structural network similar to glue. In baking, gluten gives dough its stretchy, elastic texture, and it traps gasses and moisture to give bread its soft, distinctive chew.

What Is Vital Wheat Gluten?

If you’ve browsed some of my recipes, you may have noticed that a few recipes call for high-protein bread flour or a combination of vital wheat gluten and all-purpose flour.

Vital wheat gluten is a powdered form of gluten that many bakers use as an additive to increase flour’s protein content. If you’re making an artisan-style sourdough loaf, the extra gluten can improve your dough’s stability and structure, making it easier to shape.

Is Gluten Bad for You?

The human body uses enzymes to break down consumed proteins such as gluten, though it doesn’t break down gluten completely. For some people, the undigested gluten triggers an autoimmune response when it reaches the small intestine, resulting in unpleasant symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, headaches, and even rashes.

However, for the rest of us, undigested gluten poses no risk, and gluten itself is a reliable source of protein and fiber. Furthermore, going gluten-free does not guarantee any weight loss benefits on its own. Many gluten-free processed foods rely on starches to hold and stabilize food as a substitute for gluten. These starches can actually raise blood sugar levels and cause weight gain rather than being the advertised cure-all.

Which Flours Have the Most Gluten?

Quick breads are among the easiest bread recipes to make. Beginning bakers can turn to these speedy loaves time and time again whenever they want bread without waiting around for dough to rise.

But quick breads can also be finicky.

To help you out, I’ve assembled the most common reasons your bread doesn’t rise as well as it should.

1. Over Mixing

Traditional yeasted and sourdough loaves require some gluten development to ensure the bread holds together while baking. Some recipes recommend stretch and folding techniques while others work best with thorough kneading. It’s only natural to assume that quick breads should be thoroughly mixed until smooth.

However, 9 times out of 10, my quick bread falls flat because I over mixed the batter.

As a general rule, you should only mix quick breads just enough to moisten the ingredients. A few lumps are okay! Over mixing a quick bread causes too much gluten to develop, resulting in strands that trap hot air. When the bread cools, the hot air escapes and the loaf collapses.

2. Expired Leavening

Many bakers love quick bread recipes because they’re fast and easy to make. Rather than relying on yeast or sourdough cultures to give the bread lift, quick bread recipes use baking powder or baking soda (or a combination of the two). Both leavening agents react with ingredients in the bread to create gas, and that gas causes the bread to rise quickly in the oven.

Baking soda and baking powder are fairly shelf stable. On average, an unopened container of baking soda or powder can last as long as 18 months at room temperature. Once opened, they have a shelf life of 6 months to 1 year.

However, just because baking soda and baking powder last a long time doesn’t mean that the container in your pantry is strong enough to bake bread. If you find your quick bread falls flat, check your leavening for effectiveness. Sprinkle a little baking soda or baking powder in some vinegar. If it fizzes, it’s safe to use. Replace them if you don’t see bubbles.

3. Too Much Liquid

Quick bread batter has a much higher hydration than your typical kneaded loaf. Consequently, you can’t expect the batter to hold its shape without a bread pan. Many quick breads also incorporate ingredients like zucchini, carrots, or pumpkin that increase the moisture content. These mix-ins give your bread a a soft, tender crumb.

But you can have too much of a good thing whenever you bake.

If your quick bread falls flat, take a closer look at your batter. If the batter runs off the spoon, it likely doesn’t have enough dry ingredients to compensate for the wet ones. Before mixing, be sure to dab excess moisture from fruits and veggies with a paper towel or allow them to drain with a sieve. Whenever possible, measure ingredients by weight rather than volume to ensure the proper ratios.

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Whether you’re working with yeast or with sourdough starter, your breads will naturally rise or fall depending on the temperature in your home.

Ideally, your bread will rise best when your home consistently stays between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit (20 and 22 degrees Celsius).

However, during the summer months, your home might go above those ideal temperatures, easily reaching 75 degrees and above. And the higher the temperature, the faster your bread will proof.

If your bread rises too quickly, it may taste bland and will struggle to hold its shape. So what can you do to slow that rise this summer?

1. Use Cool Water in Your Recipe

Many recipes recommend using warm water to proof yeast. Dry active yeast proofs best between 105 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit (40 and 46 degrees Celsius). If the water is too cold, the yeast will remain dormant and won’t give your bread lift.

However, during the summer, that warm water will contribute to a fast-rising loaf. If you want to slow your bread’s rise, you’ll have to be more strategic with your liquid ingredients.

Set aside some warm water to activate your yeast, but use cold water to autolyse your dough. Although your dough will reach room temperature eventually, the cold water will slow things down.

2. Add a Little More Salt

Yeast feeds on the sugars and starches in your flour. Although yeast does not need water to feed, yeast does need water to properly absorb oxygen and nutrients.

Salt, in contrast, is hygroscopic, meaning it attracts water and other moisture. When present in your bread dough, salt pulls water from the yeast, which then slows its fermentation process.

During the summer, you may want to consider adding an extra gram or two of salt to slow your yeast’s activity and counter the high temperatures in your kitchen. However, you should note that excessive amounts of salt can strain or even kill your yeast, and too much salt will impact the overall flavor of your bread.

Not sure how much to add?

If you understand baker’s percentages, you can use up to 2% salt in your recipe without having any negative impact on your bread’s fermentation process. Above 2% salt, the bread’s fermentation will slow noticeably. At 8% salt, the yeast will become dormant.

So if you try to counter excessive kitchen temperatures with salt, keep the salt well below the 8% mark. And don’t forget to take notes on your recipe changes to see what works best for you.

3. Decrease Your Fermentation Time

Scientifically speaking, the rate of metabolism and carbon dioxide production doubles for every 18 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) increase in temperature. Bread dough at 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) will rise twice as fast as dough at 68 degrees (20 degrees Celsius).

By the time your home temperature reaches 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius), the yeast becomes so active that it will push gluten strands beyond their ability to hold together. Even if you knead your bread for extended times and use extra vital wheat gluten, your dough may devolve into a sticky, gloopy mess if you let your bread rise too long in warm temperatures.

To avoid over proofing your dough, you may need to cut your total rise time to compensate summer baking. So if a recipe calls for a 4 hour rise time at 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius), your dough may be done in as little as 2 hours if your kitchen hovers at 86 degrees (30 degrees Celsius).

Keep in mind that long rise times are important for maximizing flavors in your bread. Short rise times in summer may result in blander bread, so consider alternative methods for slowing your yeast activity. Or make sure that your bread has additional ingredients such as milk, eggs, or butter to lend your bread flavor and structure.

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