Question

Write uses of baking powder ($NaHC{{O}_{3}}$).

Answer 1

Hint: Baking powder ($NaHC{{O}_{3}}$) is a dry compound which acts as a leavening agent, it is actually a mixture of bicarbonate or carbonate and a weak acid.

Complete step by step solution:
- It is found that baking powder is generally used to lighten the texture and to increase the volume of various baked foods.
- It usually works through an acid-base reaction which causes bubbles in the wet mixture to expand and therefore leavening the mixture.
- Baking powder is also used instead of yeast for the end- products where the fermentation flavours would be undesirable.
- It is also found that the batter lacks the elastic structure to hold the gas bubbles for more than a few minutes, and hence speed up the production of baked foods.
- It is widely used to create new types of cakes, biscuits, cookies and also other baked goods. The baking powder was used in minimising the time to make breadstuffs.
- As we know that the carbon dioxide is released at a faster rate through the acid-base reaction than the rough process of fermentation, it is found that pieces of bread are made by chemical leavening called as a quick bread.

Note: - We should not get confused in between the terms baking powder and baking soda. The main difference between these two is that Baking soda has only one ingredient that is sodium bicarbonate, and it reacts immediately with acids.
- Whereas, baking powder is made up of bicarbonates and acid salts, and it doesn’t react immediately when exposed to acids.