Baking powder is one of the most common ingredients used in baking.
It’s also one of the most misunderstood.
Product labeling and outdated information might have left you concerned about baking powder and its safety.
Can baking powder be harmful?
To clear things up right away; baking powder is safe and you can use it whenever called for in a recipe.
Let’s take a look at how baking powder works and clear up the myths.
What is Baking Powder?
Baking powder is perhaps the most common ingredient used in baking.
It’s essential for everything from cookies to cakes that you can make at home.
Baking powder is two main ingredients.
It contains the chemicals sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and cream of tartar.
There’s also a starch component, typically in the form of cornstarch.
As a leavening agent, baking powder creates lift in your recipes.
If you were to skip the baking powder, you’d be left with flat cakes, cookies, and cupcakes.
So not only is this ingredient useful for cooking, but it’s the most important component in many recipes.
How Does It Work?
The more you bake at home, the more you will realize that baking is rooted in chemical reactions.
The specific ingredients you use, and their measurements, are all carefully chosen to ensure that the correct chemical reactions occur.
In the case of baking powder, it reacts with water to release carbon dioxide gas into the mixture.
This gas forms bubbles that give baked goods their volume and fluffy texture.
Carbon dioxide is the same gas used to give soft drinks their fizz and tangy flavor.
Unlike yeast, the reaction with baking powder is quick, so you don’t need extended proofing times.
This is why it’s used in everything from cookies and muffins to cakes and brownies.
Can Baking Powder Be Harmful?
Baking powder is a safe food ingredient, and it has been used for generations.
Like most safe ingredients, it can be harmful if consumed in excess amounts so it’s important to follow recipes carefully and keep baking powder out of reach of children.
Keep your baking ingredients in the original packaging or clearly labeled in storage containers to avoid contaminating a recipe with the wrong ingredients.
They come included with chalkboard labels so you can use them to store any of your ingredients.
Some symptoms of a baking powder overdose are nausea, thirst, vomiting, and diarrhea.
These should be presented immediately to a medical professional.
When following a recipe, baking powder is a perfectly safe ingredient and you’ll find it to be essential for delicious home-baked treats.
