Sodium bicarbonate- baking soda

Ever wondered why when you try baking a cake it stays flat and without any volume instead of spongy and puffy like the ones you buy in a bakery? Perhaps you forgot one of the essential ingredients, sodium bicarbonate.

Sodium bicarbonate? What on earth is that, you may think. Sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda (Aaaa, you know what that is don’t you?) is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO₃. Sodium bicarbonate is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slightly salty, alkaline taste resembling that of washing soda. The natural mineral form is nahcolite. It is a component of the mineral natron and is found dissolved in many mineral springs.

NaHCO₃ is mainly prepared by the Solvay process, which is the reaction of sodium chloride, ammonia, and carbon dioxide in water. 

CO₂ + 2 NaOH → Na₂CO₃ + H₂O

This compound is one of the compounds with a biggest range of uses. It isn’t only used in the food production, but it is widely used to treat numerous medical issues as it is a good neutralizer, which allows it to help with indigestion, high acid levels in the blood and it can be used against drug overdose. Sodium bicarbonate is also used in many tooth whiteners and even in some cleaning products.

So now you know what it is, but what difference does it make in baking? Baking soda is used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked by releasing carbon dioxide gas into a batter or dough through an acid-base reaction, causing bubbles in the wet mixture to expand and thus leavening the mixture; this will give it that spongy texture.

So next time you bake a cake remember the baking soda and you’ll see the difference in the texture and taste.