Baking Soda
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a pure alkaline leavening agent that reacts instantly with acid and heat to release carbon dioxide, lifting batters and doughs and tenderizing certain other foods.
How to buy
Plain baking soda is essentially identical across brands, so freshness is the main thing to check -- it should fizz vigorously when mixed with vinegar. Avoid using a box that's been sitting open in the fridge as a deodorizer for baking.
How to store
Keep in an airtight container away from moisture, which can trigger the reaction prematurely. It loses potency over time, typically within 6 months to a year once opened, especially if exposed to air or odors.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Essentially flavorless, though it can taste faintly bitter or soapy if used in excess or not fully neutralized by acid in the recipe.
- Texture
- A fine white powder that dissolves instantly in liquid; the gas it releases creates a light, airy crumb in baked goods and a tender crust in some other preparations.
- Aroma
- Essentially odorless on its own.
How to prepare
- Mixed with acid — Combined with buttermilk, yogurt, or citrus to trigger instant leavening.
- Dissolved in boiling water — Used to alkalize boiling water for a dark, chewy crust on pretzels and bagels.
- Used to tenderize legumes — Added to the cooking water for dried beans to soften them faster.
- Sprinkled on meat — Used briefly to tenderize and alkalize meat surfaces before marinating or cooking.
Classic dishes
American
- Chocolate chip cookies — A classic cookie relying on baking soda for spread and a tender, chewy crumb.
- Bagels — Dough boiled in water with baking soda or lye before baking for a glossy crust.
- Pancakes — A quick griddle batter leavened with baking soda for light, fluffy texture.
- Gingerbread — A spiced cake or cookie leaning on baking soda to react with molasses for lift.
- Buttermilk biscuits — Quick-leavened biscuits relying on baking soda and buttermilk for rise.
- Banana bread — A moist quick bread leavened with baking soda reacting with ripe banana's acidity.
- Carrot cake — A moist spiced cake leavened with baking soda for a tender crumb.
- Cornbread — A quick cornmeal bread leavened with baking soda for a tender crumb.
- Fried chicken brine — A brine spiked with baking soda to tenderize chicken before frying.
Chinese
- Mongolian beef marinade — Thin-sliced beef tenderized briefly with baking soda before stir-frying.
- Velveted stir-fry meat — Meat tenderized with a baking soda rub for a softer bite in quick stir-fries.
- Alkaline egg noodles — Wheat noodles given their characteristic chew and yellow color with alkaline treatment.
German
- German-style pretzels — Dough boiled briefly in a baking soda solution for its signature dark, chewy crust.
British & Irish
- Soda bread — A quick, yeast-free bread leavened entirely by baking soda reacting with buttermilk.
- Scones — A quick-leavened pastry relying on baking soda or powder for a light, crumbly texture.