Soda and yeast both in pretzels

Usually I think of leavening as either yeast or chemical (baking soda / baking powder). On these sourdough pretzels yeast and soda are both listed. Why would a baked product need both leavening agents?

Best Answer

For pretzels or "things with a pretzel crust" an alkali is used in the water they are boiled in before baking. That may be food grade lye (sodium hydroxide), food grade sodium carbonate (commonly found as washing soda, but not food grade), or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda - can be converted to food grade sodium carbonate by baking it.)

Not used for leavening, though there's also no particular reason you could not use both yeast and chemical means for leavening.

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Can you use both yeast and baking soda?

While it is possible to use both yeast and baking powder together, it is not common. Recipes for baked goods usually call for one or the other and they are rarely used together. Either one can be used to puff up baked goods but they do behave very differently and produce different results.

What happens when you mix baking soda and yeast?

There are plenty of baked goods that use yeast and many more that use baking powder. Both of these are leavening agents and act to rise baked goods with carbon dioxide, so what happens if you mix them? Baking powder has little to no effect on yeast, so it will not kill it.

Can you put baking soda and yeast in bread?

Technically speaking, there is no reason for using both leavening agents in a risen bread, according to the home economists at Pillsbury. Yeast and baking powder leaven bread by creating carbon dioxide gas, which creates air pockets that get caught in a gluten structure.

What does the baking soda mixture do for pretzels?

Baking Soda Bath (Step 6): The baking soda bath is strongly recommended because it helps create that chewy texture and distinctive pretzel flavor. If skipping, brush the shaped and unbaked pretzels with a mixture of 1 beaten egg + 1 Tablespoon of dairy or nondairy milk. This is known as an egg wash.

Homemade Soft Pretzels Two Ways: Lye vs. Baking Soda

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