How can I tell whether my baking recipe has enough acid to activate the baking soda?
I've been trying to modify my grandmother's oatmeal cookie recipe to use less brown sugar, but all of my batches are coming out with a slightly 'metallic' taste.
I've attributed this to the baking soda; the recipe contains molasses and brown sugar, but with the sugar cut back, I guess it's not enough to activate the baking soda. I've gone through a couple of batches trying to figure out the right balance of baking soda to molasses/sugar, but I can't get it right.
Are there any guidelines or ways to tell whether a recipe contains enough acidic ingredients to balance out baking soda?
Best Answer
Both brown sugar and molasses are slightly acidic, you are right that reducing them reduces the acidity. However you need to consider that baking soda's purpose is a leavening agent, not to neutralize acid, so if you take some baking soda away you need to replace it with baking powder or you won't have enough leavening agent.
I can think of 2 ways to go about this, there's the lab science way and the simple way.
The lab science way would be to dissolve the amount of sugar and molasses you plan to use into some water, and then add small amounts of baking soda to the mix until you have a neutral ph. You can measure acidity with an expensive electronic meter or by using paper strips. However much baking soda you add to get a neutral PH is the right amount. You'll need to measure things exactly for this to work, then replace the balance of the baking soda with baking powder to have the right leavening.
The simpler way is to look at proportions and adjust as a ratio. If 1 tsp of baking soda is good for 1 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of molasses then reducing the brown sugar and molasses by half means you need to reduce the baking soda by half. I personally would weight the molasses and brown sugar rather than using volume measurements, and adjust proportionally using weight of both added together. IF you reduce the combined weight or both by 25% you would reduce the baking soda by 25% and replace it with baking powder. This may need some tweaking, but it will get you pretty close. Be sure to take notes so you remember what you did.
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Quick Answer about "How can I tell whether my baking recipe has enough acid to activate the baking soda?"
To test if your baking soda is still active, add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to 3 tablespoons of an acid such as vinegar or lemon juice. If there are bubbles, it's still active. To test if baking powder is still active, add ½ teaspoon of baking powder to 1 tablespoon of hot water.How do I make sure my baking soda is active?
Here's the easiest way to test: Spoon some baking soda into a bowl (you don't need to measure it or to add too much) and add a few drops of an acidic liquid, such as lemon juice or vinegar. If it starts to fizz immediately and vigorously, the baking soda will still work well for baking recipes.Does baking soda need an acid to activate?
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, or NaHCO3 for all you geeks in training) needs an acid to enable it to give off the gas that enlarges a batter's bubbles. This acid could be lemon juice, buttermilk, yogurt, or vinegar (remember the volcano?).How much acid do I put in baking soda?
Baking soda can moderate structural losses and sourness in cake caused by acid through neutralization, but too much baking soda leaves and undesirable flavor. Keep baking soda use below \xbd teaspoon per tablespoon of high acid ingredient such as lemon juice or vinegar. Cakes which are high in acid content brown poorly.What Are the Side Effects of Adding Too Much Baking Powder? : Desserts \u0026 Baking Tips
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