/ 10 ml baking powder
Baking powder is a leavening agent used in small quantities and contributes negligible calories, fat, or protein to finished baked goods, though it does add sodium depending on formulation and type.
About
Baking powder is a chemical leavening agent composed primarily of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) combined with one or more acid salts (typically cream of tartar or sodium aluminum sulfate) and a moisture-absorbing agent such as cornstarch. Developed in the mid-19th century as an improvement over yeast and potassium bicarbonate, it produces carbon dioxide gas when mixed with liquid and/or exposed to heat, causing doughs and batters to rise during baking. Most commercial baking powders are "double-acting," releasing gas both when wet (immediate action) and when heated (oven action), ensuring consistent leavening throughout the baking process.
Culinary Uses
Baking powder is essential in quick breads, cakes, cookies, biscuits, pancakes, and muffins—any baked good requiring rapid, reliable rise without yeast fermentation. It is particularly valued in applications where speed is important or extended fermentation is undesirable. In savory cooking, it is used in dumpling batters, tempura coatings, and some ethnic breads. Baking powder is typically incorporated dry into flour mixtures before adding wet ingredients; overmixing after wet ingredients are added can dissipate gas and compromise texture. The quantity used directly affects rise and crumb structure, requiring precise measurement.