Can I use lye as a leavener instead of baking soda?
I'm interested to try to make waffles using a concentrated lye water instead of baking soda as a leavening agent. I have three questions related to this subject:
- Would this potentially make my waffles fluffier (due to increased CO2 producing reactions or otherwise)?
- Would it impact the flavor of the waffles?
- Is it safe to ingest waffles that have had a lye water reaction occur in them? (Obviously I should let the lye reaction complete before ingesting).
- How long should I let a lye reaction occur before cooking?
Notably, I often use sourdough starter in my waffles, which has an acid component - I've noticed that I get a strong reaction from the baking soda as a result, and it got me thinking that I would get an even stronger result from lye, but I'm worried about taste and ingestion safety.
Best Answer
I got a pretty thorough answer to my question on the Chemistry sister site to this one.
In short, lye, while caustic, will not create a chemical reaction producing CO2, which is what baking soda does during leavening. So lye is at-best an inferior leavening approach, and in most cases, won't work as a leavening ingredient at all.
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Quick Answer about "Can I use lye as a leavener instead of baking soda?"
Yes, lye is a stronger base than sodium bicarbonate, but as the leavening doesn't come from the base-ness, you won't get any increase in leavening. R.M.Is lye similar to baking soda?
Lye is a stronger alkaline than baking soda or sodium bicarbonate, with a pH reading ranging from around 13 to 14. Its base of sodium hydroxide is created commercially by the electrolysis of sodium chloride solution, as well as reacting calcium hydroxide with sodium carbonate, according to the FDA.What is a substitute for leavener?
Plain yogurt works best over other varieties because it provides the acidity needed for leavening without adding flavor. You can replace 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of baking powder in a recipe with 1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) of baking soda and 1/2 cup (122 grams) of plain yogurt.What can be used as a substitute for baking soda?
Here are 4 clever substitutes for baking soda.- Baking Powder. Like baking soda, baking powder is an ingredient frequently used in baking to promote rise, or leavening, of the final product. ...
- Potassium Bicarbonate and Salt. ...
- Baker's Ammonia. ...
- Self-Rising Flour.
Can I use lye water for baking?
Lye water (sometimes called 'Lime Water') is a strong (caustic) liquid that is safe to use in very small amounts in cooking, but it can be dangerous if lye water is swallowed undiluted straight from the bottle. It can cause severe corrosive burns to the throat, oesophagus and stomach with permanent damage if swallowed.Before You Consume Baking Soda: WATCH THIS
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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