Hi,

I know a little about baking science and I'm always trying to learn more about it. I have a question about baking soda vs. baking powder and I thought someone here on CC could answer it for me.

If I understand correctly, baking soda should be use when there is acid (like buttermilk or cocoa) in a recipe, and baking powder when there isn't acid, because of the reactions between the two substances and other acids in the recipe. Right?

so...I was looking at several chocolate chip cookie recipes (including toll house) and the recipes called for baking soda. Why would that be? What is the acidic ingredient (flour, eggs, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, chocolate chips) that would require baking soda instead of baking powder as a leavener? Why don't those recipes use baking powder?

thanks in advance!

~Bonnie

I dont know any baking science, but I do know that The last 2 batches of NFSC I made were different, because 1 i used baking soda and the other I used baking powder.

The difference- the one with soda was alot softer cookie than the one with powder.

Which was a good thing since they were for my Auntie who has no teeth.

Well, you are totally right about the need to use some baking soda when an acid is present in your recipe, whether it is buttermilk or vinegar, etc. BUT, for your cookie question, the reason you would use baking soda is that the cookie will not rise - baking powder has a double reaction: first when it is mixed, second when it is heated. Baking soda has a single reaction and allows those specific cookies not to rise.

I'm still new at this baking science thing, too, so take this with a grain of salt. But a professional baker once told me that baking soda makes things spread and baking powder makes things rise.

I remember it by thinking of a spilled can of soda spreading all over my counter....

Sorry to be confusing - Both are chemicals which cause rising. Both contain sodium bicarbonate but baking powder also has cream of tartar in it. Since cookies bake for just minutes, baking soda is often called for in the recipe. Baking Powder rises twice: once when batch is mixed with liquid and second with the heat of the oven and is used for longer baked items/

BTW - Some things "rise" without the use of either: take for example cream puffs. Cream puffs use the moisture of the egg combined with the heat of the oven to cause the "puff'.

Bakingpw is right about soda vs powder. But the main reason why you will see soda usedin cookies and other things like chocolate cakes is because it will also make them darker, thus more pleasing to the eye.

And if you think about it, chocolate chip cookies do not rise. You dish them out by tablespoonfuls. They then melt and spread. The rise you see is where they set before they totally spread. Soda will help them rise, don't get me wrong on that. But cookies "rise" in a different way than cakes.

And it is true that you get a different product when you use soda only, or powder only, or both. If you ever get the time, it is fun to experiment and try. You still get edible results, most of the time , so nothing really goes to waste. Just don't take it personally when it fails, like I do.

thanks everyone!!

Just to be sure I understand... the chocolate chip cookie recipes use BS instead of BP, even though the ingredients aren't' acidic, so that there is only one "rise" reaction?

There is only one rise action because thatmis technically what BS does.

If you want to read more on how BS and BP work in cookies, I can suggest Cookwise by Shirley Corriher. She has a section on what happens to cookies when you change the leavening. Basically a thin cookie is using BS and a puffy and in between is when you use BP in varying amounts.

thanks!!

[quote="Which was a good thing since they were for my Auntie who has no teeth. [/quote]

Since you are interested in baking science, you should read Harold McGee. McGee is a food scientist. I think one of his books was On Food and Cooking (required reading in Culinary school). Also, a while back, I ran into a blog he does. You could google that.

Thanks for that name and information... I wasn't aware of him, but I have seen Shirley Corriher's book.

Thank you from me also.

Brown sugar is the acid in that recipe. Brown sugar contains molasses which is naturally acidic. That is my memory from culinary school, but I'm sure Harold McGee can give you a much more comprehensive explanation.

Duh, I forgot about the molasses in brown sugar. It is this and because BS will darken it.

Thank you chikadodle.

You're welcome!