Baking powder vs baking soda?!
Baking powder vs baking soda?
I accidentally added baking powder to my pumpkin bread recipe instead of the baking soda that it called for. Will it be okay, should I dump it all? Should I add the baking soda still and pretend I didn't add the baking powder? What should I do? What would happen if I just leave it as is?
Answers:
I'm always baking - so I can explain the difference between the two.
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate only... Baking powder is a combination of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and an acid.
Baking soda requires an acidic ingredient to activate it to help leaven (rise) the dough/batter. So if the recipe has an acidic ingredient such as buttermilk, yogurt, or lemon juice, etc... then baking soda can be used.
Oftentimes baking powder is used when the ingredients called for in a recipe don't have enough acid in them to activate the sodium bicarbonate to release the gasses required to leaven.
In short - if you added baking powder instead of the baking soda - your pumpkin bread will be fine. You can add 1/4 tsp of the baking soda in addition to the baking powder if it's not too late... otherwise your bread will be okay.
Just for your info: Baking soda is great for tenderizing meat AND when added to beans will help prevent the notorious gas!