This article by Karla Pretorius-Verneel, Synercore’s senior R&D technologist in baking, unpacks the world of baking powder – a key ingredient for achieving those light and fluffy baked goods.
Baking powder is a well-known raising agent used in a wide variety of baked goods including cakes and muffins and the development thereof has been recorded as early as 1843 in England, and 1850 in America. It is typically used in confectionery baked items where the flavour of yeast and fermentation is undesirable. Baking powder can be defined as a dry chemical leavening agent which typically consists of three main components including a base (sodium bicarbonate; NaCHO3), an acid (such as cream of tartar) and starch which acts as a buffer to prevent premature reaction between the base and acid components (corn starch most commonly used).