Bicarb Soda vs Baking A replacement for baking soda vs Baking Powder – HELP! For first time bakers, telling the difference between staple kitchen ingredients can be easier said than done.
Take for example the suspiciously similar trio of baking soda, bicarb soda and baking powder. Q: So are Bicarb Soda and Baking Soda the same thing? Q: Right, so what is Baking Soda in Australia? In Australia, New Zealand and the UK, the generally used term is bicarb soda. The US prefer to call it baking soda. Q: What is Bicarb Soda used for? Bicarb soda is a pure leavening agent – this means it creates air bubbles in your batter, which gradually expand as the dish cooks and causes batter to rise.
Bicarb soda must be sifted carefully as it tends to become slightly lumpy in its storage container, and should be thoroughly mixed in to prevent a bitter, soapy taste tinging the mixture. But bicarb soda is something of a wonder product, and can be useful in many household tasks. The substance can be used to clean stubborn surface stains in the kitchen and bathroom, as well as eliminating odor from old shoes. Bicarb soda can also be used to kill weeds in the garden, keep carpets clean and as a cure for heartburn! Some people even take to drinking bicarb soda to soothe a sore throat without medication, and you can make your own natural mouthwash with bicarb, too. Q: Okay, but what about Baking Powder? Just like bicarb soda, baking powder is also a leavening agent.
Q: So can I use Baking Powder instead of Bicarb Soda? Baking powder performs a similar function to bicarb soda, but the two products are not interchangeable. Baking powder has a neutral taste, and is mostly used in recipes that use other neutral ingredients like milk. Bicarb has a slightly tangy taste, and in Australia most householders simply use self-raising flour for convenience when a recipe calls for a leavening agent.