Baking Powder, homemade

I appear to be in a question answering phase. A number of people have asked me questions as they relate to baking soda and baking powder lately. In recipes, they are both what I refer to as leaveners. Chemicals which help to make baked goods rise. Yeast is a whole other subject.

At home I buy Rumford. My mouth has a sensitivity to baking powder, and this one seems to be the most low-lying in terms of outright flavour, metallic taste or bitterness. Baked goods high in baking powder include biscuits, cakes, scones, muffins, quick breads and coffee cake. I generally avoid these items unless I make them myself, or can have a little taste to see how my tongue reacts.

In America we tend to associate a high rise with excellence. It's why much of our baked goods are way too big. My feeling has always been that I want to achieve a wonderful crumb, but not to the detriment of taste. Call it comfort alongside fashion, if you will.

When doubling and tripling (or more) recipes, the baking powder does not increase equally. Also, a high proportion of baking powder will stale a baked good faster. This leavener will also attract color in the oven. I hear a lot of people say they took a cake out of the oven because it was getting too dark, but it was still under-baked. Fat, acid, sugar and baking powder will add to the darkening of a baked good, so it's important to read a recipe like a map. Where will this amalgamation of ingredients bring me?

I worked at a place a few years ago where the owner insisted we make our own baking powder. Although the homemade version is not nearly as powerful as a commercially made brand, the difference in taste was marked.

HOMEMADE BAKING POWDER

Cream of Tartar  1/4 Cup
Baking Soda  2 Tablespoons
*Cornstarch  1 Tablespoon

*Optional.

Sift ingredients. Twice if they began lumpy. Transfer to a clean, dry, tight sealing glass jar. Sore at room temperature, for up to 6 weeks.

Baking powder, even one bought in a store, will not last much longer than a year. It looses it's fizz.

Comments

[Aaron]

This post is really fascinating. I love when you let us in on some of the science that doesn't come in a nice little package alongside the recipes in home cookbooks. One question though. Since working there, do you always make your own baking powder now (both at home and in the kitchens you work)?

[shuna fish lydon]

Aaron,

the truth is that I rarely make it from scratch. I am usually doing much larger production than we did at BL and there are ways that I streamline efficiency, and therefore results. But it is a good idea, if you have the time, at least to see the side-by-side difference.

[Linda]

Hi Shuna,
If baking powder is not added equally when scaling up a cake recipe, what is the rule of thumb for increasing the BP? For instance, if I want to increase a recipe that makes 2 9-inch cakes to 12-inch cakes how is the BP increased? Thanks for the info. It's great!

[shuna fish lydon]

Linda-- if you're doubling a recipe it's no big deal. I was referring to increasing a recipe by 5+ times... Not to worry on doubling.

[Holly troubetzkoy]

Was trying to translate wijnsteenzuur which is cream of tartar. The recipe above is the one I know as well. Here in NL the bp has aluminum carbonate and I have only used it for traditionall dutch cookies. I import my Rumford.

In the time of the dough boys when biscuits of the 1849ers (gold seekers) where made with a yeast starter instead of the nontrusted baking powder which these men found so metalic in terms of taste, The yeast starter was fed in between with some flour and was ready to go for the next day after growing for wsome hours.

When you increase a recipe, do not double the salt, try one and a half or one and three quarters if you double all the rest. If you cut the recipe in half or in thirs, just cut everything. If you choose a recipe with 3 eggs to devide in 3 and one with 2 or 4 to devide in half, life is a bit easier. this works well with muffins and pancakes for a few insread of an army.

[Kathy hampton]

I have become highly allergic to nickel and am trying to find an alternative to baking powder. I love to bake and eat the things I make, but my mouth is full of sores. Can you tell me if cream of tartar contains any nickel?

hello kathy, please ask a scientist type person your question. Oftentimes the baking powder company will answer specific questions if you contact them on their phone number/website. Good Luck. ~ shuna

[kickpleat]

Wow, that's super informative! Thanks.

[Julia]

Regular baking powder makes the roof of my mouth burn -- it's surprising how many things have baking power in them, like some commercial tortillas, danish, and yeast breads. I also use Rumford at home. Thanks for the recipe.

[mikaela]

Thanks for the info. Your site is great and very applicable to my job right now. I bake for a small restaurant, and have been quadrupling (and more) normal cake recipes straight up. How should I scale the baking powder? Do you know if there is some sort of information out there (a book, or a website) for large scale baking? I'm the only baker at this restaurant and just sort of feeling my way, teaching myself.