Baking powder

Baking soda is a leavening agent used in baking, which is gaseous under the action of water, acid and heat carbon dioxide ( CO2) releases. Due to the evolution of CO2, the volume of the dough is increased.

Composition

Baking powder is a mixture of a CO2 source, usually sodium bicarbonate ( baking soda) or potassium bicarbonate, and an acidifying agent, often disodium dihydrogen diphosphate (E 450a ) or monocalcium orthophosphate (E 341a ) as an acid carrier. In addition, a release agent (30% ) from maize, rice, wheat or tapioca starch and wheat flour were added in order to bind moisture and to prevent premature evolution of CO2. Phosphate-free baking powder containing glucono-delta- lactone, potassium hydrogen tartrate or calcium citrate as an acid carrier. Sometimes vanillin or ethyl vanillin is added for flavoring.

Baking soda is offered for use in households in portion packs ( " note " ) in the trade. When dough is added mainly to the batter. In short pastry ( pie crusts, cookies ), the use of baking soda is rather rare. In yeast dough yeast added takes on the role of baking powder.

With flat duration pastries rather ammonium bicarbonate is used for Leb and honey cake in conjunction with potassium carbonate ( potash). Sometimes Hirschhorn salt or a mixture of ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium carbamate in a 1:1 ratio is used for gingerbread. From 60 ° C to decompose it into ammonia, carbon dioxide and water.

Effect

By heat ( eg oven, waffle maker, deep fryer ) and moisture reacts with the acid and baking soda releases carbon dioxide, which means that small gas bubbles appear and the dough is loosened. The chemical reactions can be formulated as follows:

Thermal decomposition:

Reaction with acid:

Thus, a similar drive is achieved as in the use of fungi in the yeast dough and bacteria in sourdough, where also CO2. The addition of baking soda shortens the cooking time, since yeast and bacteria for the production of CO2 will take longer ( between half an hour and one day). The types of dough, however, differ significantly in taste and texture.

History

The baking soda was invented by Eben Norton Horsford, a former student of Justus von Liebig. Horsford experimented from 1856 initially with acidic calcium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate. Marquart produced the baking soda as the first industrially as part of his company.

Horsford founded in 1854 with George Francis Wilson ( 1818-1883 ), the Rumford Chemical Works, to produce baking powder and sold the produce there new funds under the name of yeast powder ( yeast powder ). Liebig was able, the means by adding potassium chloride to improve, and Horsford let the agent as baking powder patented. As can be baked goods (including bread) easier industrially produced, the onset of the Civil War (1861-1865 ) brought a great demand for baking powder, and Horsford had to constantly expand its production facilities.

Liebig led by 1868 further work on baking soda and baking bread, as in Prussia there was a great famine.

The success of baking powder in Germany finally began August Oetker, who earned the 1891 Aschoff'sche pharmacy in Bielefeld. Oetker developed not only the recipe on, but marketed the product also sent in small portions to housewives to bake a cake, rather than how to go to bakers to bake bread. From 1893, he filled his baking powder Backin from 1898 he went to mass production on, and on 21 September 1903, he had patented the appropriate procedure. Even today, the baking soda from the Dr. August Oetker KG is produced in an unchanged recipe.