Recipe for two-stage baking powder?

[BRZED]

One stage baking powder is easily made: two parts cream of tartar, one part baking soda and one part starch if you want to store the product any length of time. The problem is that the homemade baking powder gets activated only once when the batter/dough is initially mixed. Then it's spent. Commercial baking powders have a second stage that gets activated by heat while baking. Homemade baking powder can easily cause insufficient leavening.

Any suggestions how to add a second stage leavening action? Commercial products use sodium aluminum sulfate. What's a suitable alternative to that questionable ingredient?

 

[BRZED]

An online search shows that Rumford baking powder uses calcium acid phosphate for the second stage. That's uh, "bone flour."

Is there any other option?

 

[raytseng]

huh? i think you're mixing up 2 tage with a mythical 3 stage.s
The cream of tartar already provides the 2nd stage. and that's all you need for homemade baking powder. The baking soda is 1st stage.


Those chemicals provide a superior 2nd stage, but cream of tartar by itself is sufficient for the 2nd stage action.

 

[BRZED]

I think you got that wrong. Cream of tarter is the acid, baking soda is the base, and moisture introduces the carbon dioxide releasing action. That would be the first, cold stage of leavening. For the second, heat-activated stage, another chemical is needed. I could be wrong about this, but I don't think I am.

 

[Food Scientist]

It looks like you were reading the Wiki page on baking soda. Typically ammonium bicarbonate and baking soda are used as the two leavening agents in cookies in commerical production. In some other cookies sodium acid pyrophosphate is used along with monocalcium phosphate to give a distinct texture.

In crackers typically ammonium bicarbonate gives the initial leavening, then sodium acid pyrophospate along with baking soda is used to provide the leavening during baking. If they are fermented crackers then typically just baking soda is used for leavening.

Not sure about breads but a read of the label will indicate what they use for the most part.

 

[Alfred_B]

What are you trying to bake? Soda bread or cake?

 

[BRZED]

Originally Posted By: SVTCobra
It looks like you were reading the Wiki page on baking soda.


I was merely looking at the ingredient list on commercial baking powder.

 

[BRZED]

Originally Posted By: Alfred_B
What are you trying to bake? Soda bread or cake?


I don't bake bread with baking powder, since I don't care for that kind bread. Do you want a comprehensive list, or do a few examples suffice? Shortcrust, cake batter, and pretty much any recipe that calls for baking powder.

Example: When I make shortcrust I always freeze half for future use. This works fine with two stage baking powder, but with one stage baling powder the baking powder is spent by the time I have defrosted the dough and the resulting shortcrust becomes a bit too dense.

 

[BRZED]

Originally Posted By: BRZED
I think you got that wrong. Cream of tarter is the acid, baking soda is the base, and moisture introduces the carbon dioxide releasing action. That would be the first, cold stage of leavening. For the second, heat-activated stage, another chemical is needed. I could be wrong about this, but I don't think I am.


Mix cream of tartar and baking soda, add to water. Mixture bubbles for a while, then stops. Heat the mixture. It doesn't bubble again. Hence the cream of tartar and baking soda mixture is the first stage leavener that depends solely on moisture.

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: BRZED
Originally Posted By: BRZED
I think you got that wrong. Cream of tarter is the acid, baking soda is the base, and moisture introduces the carbon dioxide releasing action. That would be the first, cold stage of leavening. For the second, heat-activated stage, another chemical is needed. I could be wrong about this, but I don't think I am.


Mix cream of tartar and baking soda, add to water. Mixture bubbles for a while, then stops. Heat the mixture. It doesn't bubble again. Hence the cream of tartar and baking soda mixture is the first stage leavener that depends solely on moisture.


That reminds me of Lancelot fighting with himself in Excalibur.

 

[BRZED]

It was an addendum, backing up my previous claim. I thought replying to myself would be less offensive and less inflammatory. That's all.

I applaud your trivia knowledge concerning this old Boorman movie.

 

[Alfred_B]

Originally Posted By: BRZED
One stage baking powder is easily made: two parts cream of tartar, one part baking soda and one part starch if you want to store the product any length of time. The problem is that the homemade baking powder gets activated only once when the batter/dough is initially mixed. Then it's spent. Commercial baking powders have a second stage that gets activated by heat while baking. Homemade baking powder can easily cause insufficient leavening.

Any suggestions how to add a second stage leavening action? Commercial products use sodium aluminum sulfate. What's a suitable alternative to that questionable ingredient?


Here is the no-aluminum alternative you have been looking for.

https://nuts.com/cookingbaking/leavenerthickener/baking-powder.html

 

[BRZED]

Finding aluminum-free commercial baking poder is not a problem. Rumford is Al-free. Finding an ingredient suitable for the homemade concoction is the problem. Not sure about phosphates. Buying phosphates may result in being waterboarded over cookies.

I simply prefer making small batches of baking powder for immediate use over having a large quantity of commercial baking powder which loses its effectiveness quickly in storage or having small packjages and running out. Also, it foesn't hurt being able to make stuff from scratch.

 

[Alfred_B]

I see what you are trying to accomplish.

Let us know when you find aluminum and phosphate free agent for secondary leavening.

 

[BRZED]

Sure I will.