What Is Baking soda and How Can I Use It?

Wondering what to do with baking soda? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it — with 4,743 recipes to put it to work.

What is baking soda?

Baking soda is pure Sodium Bicarbonate, a naturally occurring white crystalline substance. When it comes to baking, sodium bicarbonate is the leavening agent that helps turn out light, airy breads and cakes of great heights.

This rising action happens when the baking soda is mixed with an acidic ingredient in your recipe. This could be something like lemon juice, buttermilk, sour cream, cocoa or molasses. When the soda comes in contact with this acid, it produces carbon dioxide gas bubbles which expand your batter and make your baked goods rise in the oven.

The chemical formula of baking soda is NaHC 3. Its home use lies mostly in baking, to leaven cakes containing acid ingredients such as buttermilk, vinegar, molasses, and fruit juices.

It is also used along with cream of tartar or baking powder where the amount of acid in the ingredients being combined varies a great deal, as it does when such things as chocolate, brown sugar, honey, sour cream, apples, etc., are mixed together.

A dough containing baking soda should be baked without delay since most of the leavening gas is produced at room temperature and will escape.

Formerly as saleratus, baking soda was used in baking and for cleaning butterchurns and other homely articles. It has been made in the US as early as 1839 and made a formidable competition for soda imported from England.

It is easy to see why: saleratus was packaged in a bright red wrapper, each pound coming with a free recipe card. This was a colorful era of marketing. You can now only imagine the delight of the children and all the onlookers as the soda salesman drove into town in a colorfully decorated wagon drawn by plumed horses. There was the jingle of bells and a trumpet blast.

One of the most memorable, and surely one of the most successful, salesmen was Colonel Powell, a former Barnum giant, who stood nine feet tall with the aid of a very high hat and a pair of extremely thick-soled shoes.

Aside from baking, the virtues of NaHCO3 are as many as they are varied. It will clean such diverse items as painted walls, plastic table mats, car windshields, crystal, costume jewelry, and even the family dog.

Take baking soda on a fishing trip? Certainly! It will brighten up those dull or rusted lures and hooks, rid your hands of fishy odors, take the soreness out of an accidental sunburn, and soothe the itch or sting of bug bites.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 tsp (4g)

Amount per Serving

Calories 0Calories from Fat 0

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 0.0g 0%

Saturated Fat 0.0g 0%

Trans Fat ~

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 1094mg 46%

Total Carbohydrate 0.0g 0%

Dietary Fiber 0g 0%

Sugars 0.0

Protein 0.0g

Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 0% • Iron 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.

recipeland.com/nutrition

Where found

Baking soda is usually found in the baking supplies section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group

Baking soda is a member of the Baked Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

How much does baking soda weigh?

Amount	Weight
1 teaspoon	4 grams
½ teaspoon	2 grams

Baked Products

Biscuit baking mix (bisquick) 416 Cornbread 49 Bread, french baguette 56 French bread 203 Bread, italian 56 Crusty bread 16 Pita bread 88 Rye bread 48 Bread 575 Bread, white 169

In Chinese:	小苏打
British (UK) term:
en français:	bicarbonate de soude
en español:	bicarbonato de sodio

Recipes using baking soda

There are 4743 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Graham Wafers

These homemade graham wafers are crisp, lightly sweet, and perfect for snacking, crushing into crumbs for pie crusts, or pairing with spreads. Made with wholesome graham flour and a touch of vanilla, they bake up golden and delicious in just minutes.

Kale & Two Cheese Scones

Craving a breakfast treat that's hearty, cheesy, and not overly sweet. These kale and cheese scones are your new best friend. Inspired by the cozy vibes of an American bakery, we've packed them with tender kale, sharp cheddar, nutty Parmessan, and a hint of plump raisins for a subtle sweetness that balances the savory kick. A generous grind of black pepper adds a spicy edge, making these perfect for brunch, snacks, or even alongside soup.