Baking powder for dough is needed to get airy, melt-in-your-mouth baking. In the store you can buy a special one. And it’s better to make baking powder for dough with your own hands. Such an additive will not differ in any way from the purchased one. It will give your pies an extraordinary splendor. How to make homemade baking powder? The answer to this question can be found in this article.

Baking powder for dough - what is it?

This product is a special one which is added to yeast-free pastries. The main task of this ingredient is to give splendor to the finished culinary product.

Baking is airy and melts in the mouth thanks to carbon dioxide, the bubbles of which are released during cooking and evenly lift the dough. The result is cooking masterpiece, which is distinguished by its splendor and appetizing appearance. The formation of carbon dioxide is the result of a reaction that occurs between the components of the baking powder. As part of this additive, there is a special filler that prevents the baking powder components from interacting with each other ahead of time.

What can replace baking powder for dough? More on this below.

What is a substitute for baking powder?

The classic composition of this ingredient is as follows:

• baking soda - 125 grams;
• wine stone - 250 grams;
• ammonium carbonate - 20 grams;
• rice flour - 25 grams.

The hostess cannot find such ingredients at home. So for the test?

Instead of baking powder, you can use a mixture wheat flour, baking soda and citric acid composed in certain proportions.

Another alternative is simply baking soda. More on this will be written below. And now it's time to learn how to make baking powder for dough with your own hands.

Self-made baking powder with your own hands

To prepare this ingredient, you will need the following products:

• wheat flour - 12 tablespoons;
• baking soda - 5 tablespoons;
• citric acid - 3 tablespoons.

Consider the cooking process:

1. dry glass jar sprinkle flour.
2. Add baking soda and citric acid.
3. Stir the ingredients using a dry wooden spoon.
4. Close the container tightly and shake well so that all components are evenly distributed.
5. Put a piece of refined sugar in a jar to eliminate excess moisture.

The glass container and wooden spoon must be absolutely dry, otherwise the components of the homemade baking powder will react already in the jar, and the powder will be spoiled.

Store the resulting mixture in a tightly closed glass container.

Now you know how to make baking powder for dough with your own hands.

How to replace baking powder with baking soda?

It is allowed to replace the baking powder with ordinary baking soda. In this case, one of the following ingredients must be present in the test:

• dairy products;
• chocolate;
• citric acid;
• juice or fruit puree.

If the dough does not contain at least one of these products, the soda will not react with anything. As a result, carbon dioxide will not be released.

How much soda should be added to the dough in one case or another? This can only be determined empirically. Soda will need about half as much as baking powder according to the recipe.

Some housewives believe that baking should be added already. However, if this component is introduced after it has reacted with vinegar, the necessary carbon dioxide will be released into the air and will not enter the dough. The desired result will not be achieved. It would be more correct to introduce soda into the dry dough. And just before putting it into the mold, add a little vinegar.

Benefits of homemade baking powder

Why should you prepare baking powder for dough with your own hands, refusing to buy it? In addition, flour or starch is added to the store-bought baking powder. It would seem that such a dough baking powder consists exclusively of natural products. However, in mass production, some of the components are replaced by chemical analogues, the frequent use of which can be harmful to health.

Sometimes housewives add more baking powder to the dough than indicated in the recipe. They think that baking will become even better. Doing this is not worth it. After all, if you overdo it with store-bought baking powder, then the finished culinary product will not acquire the desired splendor. A excess amount soda and citric acid can lead to a bitter taste.

That is why it is better to use homemade baking powder for dough. What will it give your baked goods? She will acquire splendor, airiness and beautiful appearance. In addition, there will be no harmful chemical components in the finished culinary products.

Conclusion

Now you know what baking powder is for. And if at the right time you didn’t have store-bought baking powder at hand, then you don’t need to be upset. From the components that are always present in your kitchen, you can make a worthy replacement. Baking powder home cooking will compare favorably with the purchased one. After all, he always gives the dough splendor. Ready-made pastries have an excellent taste, do not contain harmful impurities and well kept. Another advantage of homemade baking powder is that its cost is much lower compared to a store-bought counterpart.

Food baking powder for dough - an additive designed to give dough splendor. The dough with baking powder is characterized by a structure with air bubbles evenly distributed over it. Due to these bubbles, baking with baking powder acquires such magnificent properties. As a rule, the process of loosening the dough, the appearance of air bubbles in it, occurs due to the release of gas during fermentation or a chemical reaction. The type of reaction depends on the type of baking powder for the dough. As a rule, when a baking powder is mentioned in a confectionery recipe, baking powder is meant - this is exactly the chemical dough baking powder sold in bags in stores.

Ingredients of packaged chemical leavening agents for cooking or baking powders sold in stores: Usually packaged food dough or baking powders contain baking soda, some kind of stabilizer, acidity regulator, starch or wheat flour. Sometimes the manufacturer adds a dye and flavoring agent, for example, saffron, to the dough baking powder to give the dough a beautiful golden color and taste. But if you are preparing a confectionery product according to a specific recipe, then it is better to buy baking powder for dough or unflavoured baking powder in order to preserve the original intent of the culinary dish.

Store-bought baking powder or baking powder is quite easy to use - you can simply add it to the dough in the right proportion at the time of kneading - but carefully read the instructions for use on the package, as the composition and methods of using baking powder for dough may differ.

In addition to store-bought baking powder, sold in bags in the form of baking powder, there are other types of baking powder.

Types of baking powder dough:

1. Biological baking powder for dough:

Biological dough leavening agents are a type of baking powder based on a fermentation process caused by fungi, beneficial bacteria and microorganisms. Mainly used in the process of making bread, dairy products and baking.

Among the biological baking powder for the test, the following types can be distinguished:

• Lactic acid bacteria - a type of biological baking powder for dough and other food products, which are a group of microorganisms that are involved in the fermentation of carbohydrates, which results in the formation of lactic acid as one of the main products that is used for food processing. For instance, lactic acid bacteria used in cooking fluffy dough and cocoa. These bacteria are found in lactic acid products and bread sourdough.
• Baker's yeast is a type of biological baking powder for dough, which are microorganisms from the Saccharomyces family. During fermentation, they release carbon dioxide into the dough, as a result of which the dough acquires a loose structure. In baking, they are added to wheat flour dough, and are also used in confectionery for the preparation of some cakes, cupcakes and other pastries.

2. Chemical baking powder for dough:

Chemical dough baking powder is a type of baking powder based on chemical processes. It is from chemical baking powder that confectionery powder or baking powder is made, which is sold in stores under the name "Baking Powder for Dough". As a rule, chemical dough leavers are used to create various confectionery products or as substitutes for biological leavening agents when making bread.

Among the chemical baking powder for the test, the following types can be distinguished:

The main chemical dough leavening agents:

• Baking soda - sodium bicarbonate or food additive E500ii - is used instead of yeast in confectionery and bakery. During the reaction, gases are released, as a result of which the dough is loosened.
• Ammonium carbonate - ammonium salt of carbonic acid - food additive E503i - is used instead of yeast in confectionery and bakery. During the reaction, gases are released, as a result of which the dough is loosened.

Other types food additives, which are chemical dough leavening agents:

• Soda - sodium carbonate or food additive E500i;
• Ammonium bicarbonate - food additive E503ii;
• Potash - potassium carbonate - food additive E501i;
• Pyrophosphates - food additive E450.

There are a lot of varieties of chemical dough baking powder. But mostly in the composition of baking powders, baking soda is used as a baking powder.

How to replace baking powder for dough:

Now baking powder can be bought at almost any store, but if you don’t have baking powder on hand, you can replace it with other confectionery ingredients.

One of the most simple ways to replace the dough baking powder is to use soda quenched with citric acid or vinegar. Quenching soda with citric or acetic acid improves the reaction and enhances the effect of carbon dioxide release, which makes the dough friable. After adding citric acid to the soda and going through the hissing process, it must be immediately added to the dough and mixed well.

Usually, slaked soda as a substitute for baking powder or baking powder is added to the dough in a ratio of 1: 40, that is, 10 grams of slaked soda should be added to 400 grams of dough. When extinguishing soda with vinegar, you need to observe a measure of about 1: 1. If there is not enough vinegar, then the baking will smell like soda, otherwise it will smell like vinegar. If you are afraid of not keeping the balance, then you can extinguish the soda with citric acid in a ratio of 1: 1. If the dough contains acidic components, such as sour cream, kefir and others, then the baking powder for the dough can be replaced simply with soda without extinguishing it. Due to the presence in the test acid ingredients the process of carbon dioxide emission is guaranteed to take place already during the preparation of the confectionery.

Also, baking powder can be replaced with homemade baking powder.

How to make baking powder at home:

Despite the fact that confectionery powder or baking powder is sold in all stores and is quite cheap - about 30 - 40 rubles per 50 grams, it can also be made at home. Making homemade baking powder is easy enough. The recipe for baking dough includes just a few simple ingredients:

• baking soda;
• lemon acid.

In order to make baking powder for dough, you just need to mix these ingredients in the indicated proportion: 12 parts flour, 5 parts baking soda and 3 parts citric acid. Depending on the required amount of baking powder for the dough, you can take the ingredients in the right amount and, in compliance with all proportions, make baking powder for the dough in the right amount at home without going to the store.

Home baking powder for dough is mainly used in a ratio of 1: 20, that is, for 200 grams of dough, you need to add 10 grams of home baking powder, but more detailed instructions must be specified in the confectionery recipe.

Benefits of baking powder:

Baking powder is useful only for making the dough fluffy and loose, as such, it does not provide any benefit to human health. The only plus is the pleasure of eating a lush dough, it is tastier and produces more positive emotions than a flat compressed one. But baking powder can cause harm to the human body.

Harm of baking powder

Baking powder or dough baking powder can be harmful to the human body due to the fact that harmful additives such as stabilizers, dyes and flavors are added to it. Sometimes producers add genetically modified starch, which also makes the dough baking powder harmful to the body.

It is necessary to carefully read the composition of the dough baking powder on the package and take one that has fewer harmful additives. If you eat only healthy foods, then you can make baking powder or baking powder at home according to the recipe above. It will definitely not contain harmful dyes, stabilizers and genetically modified products, unless you add them yourself.

Baking powder is a substance used to make a food product loose and fluffy. Mainly used for loosening dough.

The composition of the dough baking powder includes soda and ammonium carbonate as essential components.
Dough leavening agents are used to obtain a finished product without the taste of soda. Dough leavening agents are also called baking powder.

If you bake with sourdough, the sourdough is the baking powder. But sometimes other baking is needed (for pies, cookies, cakes, etc.). There is no sourdough there. You need a baking powder.

Most often we use soda slaked with vinegar. But there are subtleties.

Baking soda is used in the preparation of cakes, pastries, cookies and other baked goods, giving them volume. Soda itself is not a baking powder, for this it is necessary to extinguish it with vinegar, while the soda is completely decomposed, and the taste of the product improves.

When soda is extinguished with vinegar, carbon dioxide is released, due to which baking becomes airy and porous. Quick soda does not add volume. But if you put too much soda, it appears specific unpleasant taste and smell . Even if you put not a lot, but as much as you need, everything tastes the same, and you don’t like it.

And now the main thing.

Experienced cooks never extinguish soda outdoors: carbon dioxide escapes (most of it), bringing no benefit to the test. You need to mix soda with flour, and add vinegar or acid to the liquid ingredient included in the dough - kefir, sour cream, eggs.

The most important thing when using soda is, since the reaction passes very quickly, and loosening will not work.

You can extinguish soda fermented milk products(without vinegar) - if they are part of the dough, then it is not necessary to add vinegar (sour cream, kefir, whey, yogurt ...).

Cooking recipes now often include baking powder in their ingredient lists. It consists of a mixture of citric acid, soda and flour or starch, which prevent premature quenching. The baking powder does not need to be dissolved, it is mixed with flour and injected into the dough. The reaction in this case begins only during baking, which means that the dough can be left to lie down for a while.

When buying baking powder, remember that the bag in which it is located must not be paper, otherwise the reaction may begin right in the package.

Baking powder can be made at home, it's very easy. This is a great replacement for store-bought baking powder - it works exactly the same. So,

homemade baking powder recipe

It is better not to do very much, as the baking powder can cake! If you plan to make more baking powder, put a sugar cube in the jar to eliminate moisture.

The composition of the dough baking powder:

• Flour 12 parts(flour is added for the convenience of dosing baking powder, manufacturers sometimes use instead potato starch, the shelf life then increases, but at home this is not necessary at all). I take homemade flour coarse grinding, you can wheat, you can take rye.
• Soda 5 parts
• Citric acid 3 parts. So far, I have prepared baking powder on citric acid, but the thought came that it would completely replace it ground dry black or red currant, or cranberry- it is also VERY sour, and at the same time completely natural. I think that then the ground powder of berries should be taken not three parts to 5 parts of soda, but more - at least equally, and maybe even powder of berries more than soda.

Need COMPLETELY DRY!!! a jar with a tight lid, and mix the ingredients with a COMPLETELY DRY spoon - otherwise the reaction will start immediately.

Pour 12 tablespoons of flour into a dry jar, then 5 tablespoons of soda, and at the end add 3 tablespoons of citric acid (or approximately 5-7 tablespoons of dry ground currant or cranberry powder). Then tightly close the jar and shake it well so that all the components are evenly mixed! That's all!

You can add it to any pastry, to pancakes and pancakes (although I generally just bake pancakes with pancakes, without baking powder, but if you need fluffy pancakes, it is better to add).

Store TIGHTLY CLOSED to keep moisture out.

How much baking powder to add to the dough?

For 1 kg of flour, an average of 4-6 teaspoons of baking powder is consumed (or 2 teaspoons of soda and 2 teaspoons of citric acid).

It is usually considered that 2-3 teaspoons of baking powder are needed instead of 1 teaspoon of soda.

A teaspoon with a small slide is 10 g of baking powder.

There is more in muffins - the norm for 200 g of flour is 2 tsp. baking powder plus 1 tsp. soda, I think it's too much. In general, in fatty dough you need more baking powder, in unleavened bread regular test- much less, the norm differs at times.

Citric acid does not always remove the taste of soda in the product; you can also add a little vinegar. You have to try and see according to your taste.

Types of loosening agents

Self-loosening agents

They cause fermentation in the product, which loosens the dough.

• Baker's yeast. Fungi that release carbon dioxide into the dough during fermentation. They differ in that they also release other substances that affect the taste of the baked product, which is caused by their metabolism.
• Lactic acid bacteria - found in bread sourdough and lactic acid products.

Used for baking unleavened bread, cupcakes and other confectionery products. Based on chemical baking powder, baking powder is made, in retail found under the name dough baking powder.

Some types of chemical leavening agents:

• Sodium carbonate - soda, food additive E500i.
• Sodium bicarbonate - baking soda, food additive E500ii.
• A mixture of sodium carbonate with sodium bicarbonate - food additive E500iii.
• Ammonium carbonate - food additive E503i.
• Ammonium bicarbonate (see Ammonium salts) - food additive E503ii.
• Potassium carbonate (potash) - food additive E501i.
• Potassium bicarbonate (potash) - food additive E501ii.
• Pyrophosphates - food additive E450.
• Orthophosphates - see list of food additives E300-E399.
• Other phosphates - see list of food additives E400-E499.
• Cream of tartar is a mixture of potassium tartrate (E336i) with potassium bitartrate (E336ii).

Baking soda

Baking soda acts as a leavening agent on its own, at 60°C (sodium bicarbonate) it begins to break down into sodium carbonate, carbon dioxide and water.

Baking soda and soda are salts of a very weak and unstable carbonic acid, so they react with stronger acids to release carbon dioxide. The dough usually has a slight acidity (caused by dairy products), but to enhance the effect, flour is often pre-mixed with citric acid (dry), or adding tartaric acid (for poverty). acetic acid) into the liquid.

A mixture of soda, citric acid and flour is sometimes sold under the name of baking powder.

It is widely believed that baking soda and vinegar should be mixed before adding to the dough. This is completely useless, since the reaction takes place outside the dough, carbon dioxide escapes before cooking begins. The gas formation reaction starts immediately when kneading, it is important to put it immediately in the oven when the dough is heated - the reaction accelerates, the bubbles expand and repeatedly raise the dough.

Reaction equation: NaHCO 3 + CH 3 COOH = CO 2 + H 2 O + CH 3 COONa - Q

ammonium carbonate

Unlike baking soda, ammonium carbonate completely decomposes into gaseous components, leaving no mineral salts and adding nothing to the taste of baked goods.

It can be used in a non-strict dosage, as. In addition, it releases more gases. The only drawback is the instability in air at long-term storage. It is the main component of baking powders.

When heated to t 60 ° C, it quickly decomposes into ammonia (NH 3), carbon dioxide (CO 2) and water (H 2 O) according to the reaction: (NH 4) 2 CO 3 \u003d 2NH 3 + CO 2 + H 2 O

Loose products

• agar agar
• Gelatin
• Fats mixed with sugar
• Carrageenan
• Cream
• pectin substances
• Egg white

loosening gases

• Air
• Nitrous oxide - food additive E942.
• Carbon dioxide - food additive E290.

Spices for dough

spices that can be used for homemade test, quite a lot: vanilla, anise, bitter and sweet almonds (bitter - grains !!), ginger, cardamom, coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, star anise. In products from salt dough you can also add red pepper and thyme.

For baking and just like that, as a drink, we recommend paying attention to non-alcoholic syrups from Monin (France) and others - very delicious addition to the table, for children and adults! There are dozens of different flavors - add syrups to drinks and baking dough!

See also ready mixtures of spices and spices- very convenient sets, you can choose spices for baking and cooking different dishes, cereals, soups. It also has natural cinnamon, vanilla, and more.

The Englishman Whiting, who in 1838 proposed using a composition of soda and hydrochloric acid instead of yeast, is considered the ancestor of chemical loosening of dough. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, chemical baking powders were widely used in Western Europe and America. The chemical method of loosening was well known and widely used in Russia. Cooking recipes of that time contain detailed and very competent recommendations on the use of soda and citric acid to quickly rise the dough. Chemical leavening agents for home use were commonly sold in drugstores and in small packages at grocery stores.

To loosen the dough, it was proposed to use:

- baking soda (other names: sodium bicarbonate, soda bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate);

- a mixture of baking soda with citric acid;

- baking soda with tartaric acid or tartar (other names: potassium hydrogen tartrate, kremortartar, sour potassium tartrate, tartaric salt);

- cream of tartar with chalk (calcium carbonate);

- ammonium carbonate (ammonium carbonate, ammonium carbonate salt, ammonium);

- a mixture of baking soda and ammonia (ammonium chloride) in a ratio of 3: 2;

- a mixture of baking soda and acid phosphate salts (hydrophosphates) of some alkali and alkaline earth metals;

- a mixture of baking soda with hydrosulfates of alkali, alkaline earth metals or aluminum.

To stabilize chemical baking powders containing alkaline (soda, potash) and acidic (acid, acid salts) components, they included inert substances - fillers (flour, starch).

Other combinations of chemicals have been proposed to loosen the dough. Some of the proposed compositions still form the basis of chemical baking powder, others have gone down in history. Many mixtures containing salts of sulfuric acid, chalk, some salts of phosphoric acid, alum and some other substances turned out to be unsuccessful.

Modern chemical dough baking powder can be divided into 3 groups:

1. Alkaline (active ingredients: sodium, potassium, ammonium carbonates)

2. Alkaline acid (usual active ingredients: soda + crystalline acids)

3. Alkaline-salt (usual active ingredients: soda + crystalline salts that can decompose soda with the release of carbon dioxide)

In addition to active (leaching dough) substances, the composition of modern baking powder, as well as 100 years ago, includes fillers (usually flour, starch).

In the presence of water (dough kneading stage) or when heated (baking stage), the components of chemical leavening agents react, accompanied by the release of gases (CO 2 , NH 3 ), creating a porous dough structure.

The main advantage of chemical baking powder is the high speed of the baking process. Of no small importance are their characteristics such as the possibility of accurate dosing, low cost and ease of use, the ability to loosen such types of dough in which the normal operation of the fermentation microflora is impossible (sand, gingerbread, honey, etc.).

To disadvantages chemical method dough loosening can be attributed to:

- contamination of food products with residues of chemical leavening agents and substances formed during chemical reactions that cause leavening of the dough;

- a limited range of substances that are safe for health and can well loosen the dough;

- the impossibility of obtaining with the help of chemical baking powder dough for bakery and fancy products, similar in properties and taste to yeast;

- the complexity or impossibility of controlling the rate of chemical loosening of the dough over time;

- a change in the usual organoleptic characteristics of natural products (the appearance of a specific taste, smell, color).

The following requirements apply to chemical leavening agents intended for food use:

– proven food safety;

- safety and ease of use;

— sufficient stability during storage;

- the ability to loosen the dough well when used in fairly small quantities;

- if possible, a calm course of the gas evolution reaction (without a violent outburst of gas in a short period of time);

— the absence of a pronounced negative effect on the organoleptic characteristics of the finished product.

The list of substances allowed for use as food baking powder is rather limited. In order to create the appearance of a rich assortment and give the buyer pleasure when choosing the right bag, manufacturers call the same component that is part of the general loosening composition differently. For example, ordinary baking soda can be hidden under the names: E500, E500ii, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate.

The production of food baking powder is sufficient profitable business, since the price of mixtures packaged in 15-20 g exceeds the cost of used raw materials by 10-20 or more times.

Let us consider in more detail the features of various substances or compositions used for chemical loosening of dough.

The easiest and cheapest way to loosen the dough is to include baking soda NaHCO 3 (food additive E500 ii) in its composition.

Baking soda is a salt of very weak and volatile carbonic acid. Carbonic acid is easily displaced from salts by most organic acids contained in ordinary foods (dairy, lemon, vinegar, wine, etc.). In addition, baking soda quickly breaks down when heated (up to 80-90 ° C), while carbon dioxide is also released.

If the dough contains acid-containing products ( spoiled milk, sour cream, mayonnaise, cottage cheese, honey, jam, beer, fruits, berries, etc.), then the release of carbon dioxide when soda is added to the dough begins already at the stage of kneading it.

For example, 500 g of fairly fresh kefir contains about 5 g of organic acids. About ½ teaspoon of baking soda (about 5 g) will react with this amount of acids. The calculations are very simple, since the molar mass of baking soda (84 g/mol) is approximately equal to the molar mass of lactic acid (90 g/mol).

The interaction of baking soda with acids (or acid salts) can be expressed by the following equation:

NaHCO 3 + H + = Na + + CO 2 + H 2 O

For normal loosening of the dough, the amount of baking soda added must be higher than the amount of acids contained in it. An excess of soda is necessary for additional loosening of the dough at the baking stage.

2NaHCO 3 \u003d Na 2 CO 3 + CO 2 + H 2 O

During thermal decomposition of 100 g of baking soda, 13 liters of carbon dioxide are released, and when 100 g of baking soda is decomposed under the action of acids, the volume of carbon dioxide released is 26 liters. The released carbon dioxide causes the formation of a fairly fine and uniform porosity of baking.

If too much baking soda is added to the dough, then the sodium carbonate formed during its thermal decomposition will give ready-made pastries unpleasant alkaline taste and a specific yellowish-pink tint.

The presence of sodium carbonate causes an increased alkalinity of baked products, which is highly undesirable, since the alkali content in confectionery is a regulated indicator. For example, according to GOST 15810-96, the alkalinity of gingerbread should not exceed 2.0 degrees.

In this regard, obtaining tasty and well-leavened baked goods is impossible without the correct dosage of baking soda.

The decomposition products of baking soda do not pose a risk to human health. The sodium carbonate Na 2 CO 3 remaining in the baking will be completely decomposed by the hydrochloric acid of the gastric juice.

Baking soda has no expiration date. The guaranteed shelf life is usually 12 months from the date of issue.

In addition to sodium bicarbonate (baking soda, E500ii), baking powder often includes sodium carbonate (E500i) or a mixture of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate (E500 iii). I remind you that sodium carbonate is able to loosen the dough only in the presence of acids or acid salts.

Na 2 CO 3 + 2H + \u003d 2 Na + + CO 2 + H 2 O

The interaction of 100 g of sodium carbonate with acid releases 21 liters of carbon dioxide.

Second A common and effective chemical often used to loosen dough is ammonium carbonate (food additive E503i). The chemical formula of ammonium carbonate (NH 4) 2 CO 3. This substance has a weak chemical stability and decomposes rather quickly during storage with the release of gaseous ammonia. Ammonium carbonate is easily distinguished from other leavening agents by its characteristic ammonia smell.

(NH 4) 2 CO 3 → NH 4 HCO 3 + NH 3

NH 4 HCO 3 → NH 3 + H 2 O + CO 2

Ammonium bicarbonate (NH 4 HCO 3) is referred to as food additive E503ii.

Ammonium salts of carbonic acid used as food additives are designated by the general index E503.

The great advantage of ammonium carbonate is its almost complete decomposition with the release of carbon dioxide and ammonia in the presence of water or when heated. Active thermal decomposition of this baking powder begins when heated to 60 ° C.

(NH 4) 2 CO 3 \u003d 2NH 3 + CO 2 + H 2 O

During the decomposition of 100 g of ammonium carbonate, almost 70 liters of gaseous products are released, which loosen the dough well. Active gas evolution causes the formation of a large-pore structure of finished baking.

Ammonia can pose a certain danger to human health, but this gas quickly and almost completely evaporates from the products during their baking. A noticeable smell of ammonia can be felt in warm products immediately after baking, as they cool down, the smell disappears.

A significant disadvantage of ammonium carbonate is its gradual decomposition during storage. In the presence of moisture, the decomposition rate increases significantly. The guaranteed shelf life of ammonium carbonate in a dry, cool room is usually 5-6 months from the date of issue.

In industrial conditions, ammonium carbonate is most often used in conjunction with baking soda or potash (potassium carbonate).

For example, to loosen gingerbread dough in production conditions, a mixture containing 2 parts ammonium carbonate and 1 part baking soda is often used. With this ratio of components, the gingerbreads acquire a high "dome-shaped" shape.

In Germany, instead of baking soda, potash (E501) is traditionally included in the recipe for gingerbread. In this case, 1 mass part of potash is added to 9 mass parts of ammonium carbonate.

Connoisseurs argue that the use of potash gives the finished products a characteristic flavor, in addition, the addition of potash to the dough contributes to the “growth” of the blanks in width, and when ammonium carbonates are added, the blanks “grow” upwards.

In Russia, potash is rarely used for loosening dough; the main purpose of potash is its use as an acidity regulator, stabilizer, and carrier.

With the complete decomposition of 100 g of potassium carbonate by acids, approximately 16 liters of carbon dioxide are released, which is significantly lower than during the decomposition of ammonium or sodium carbonates.

Often for loosening dough use a mixture of baking soda and citric acid, stabilized with flour or starch. Typically, the composition of such a mixture includes 5 mass parts of baking soda, 3 mass parts of citric acid and 12 mass parts of the filler (starch, flour). Baking soda in relation to the acid is taken in some excess, which contributes to loosening the dough not only at the stage of kneading, but also during baking ( For more information on leavening dough with a mixture of citric acid and baking soda, see the article on our website "About extinguishing soda with vinegar").

Citric acid in the composition of baking powder can be replaced with tartaric acid, but this is not advisable. Firstly, tartaric acid is 3 times more expensive than citric acid, and secondly, to neutralize soda, dibasic tartaric acid requires more than tribasic citric acid.

The composition of many modern baking powders includes acidic salts of orthophosphoric or pyrophosphoric acids as an acid component (E341 i - 1-substituted calcium orthophosphate; E450 i - sodium dihydropyrophosphate, etc.). These salts, in combination with soda, contribute to the smooth flow of the gas evolution reaction and allow you to sufficiently well loosen the dough for pancakes, cookies, biscuits, muffins, etc.

From point of view healthy eating the use of these baking powders is not very desirable, since salts of various phosphorus-containing acids remain in the dough, increasing the total phosphorus content and disturbing the balance of calcium and phosphorus in the finished product. Modern products are already too overloaded with phosphorus-containing food additives.

Previously, acidic salts of tartaric acid - hydrotartrates (sodium hydrotartrate E335i, potassium hydrogentartrate E336i - cream of tartar) were included in the composition of baking powder as an acid component, as a result, a completely safe and high-tech composition was obtained. Nowadays, preference is given to cheaper phosphorus-containing compounds.

For loosening dough you can use a mixture of baking soda or soda ash and ammonium chloride (E 510). The interaction between these substances occurs in accordance with the equations:

NaHCO 3 + NH 4 Cl → NH 3 + H 2 O + CO 2 + NaCl

Na 2 CO 3 + 2NH 4 Cl → 2NH 3 + H 2 O + CO 2 + 2NaCl

The use of ammonium chloride as an acid component requires precise dosage, and the sodium chloride formed during the reaction makes the dough more salty. V confectionery production this is most often undesirable.

Currently, ammonium chloride (ammonia) is rarely used in food production.

Dosage of chemical leavening agents in the dough

Liebig also theoretically established that 4.9 g of baking soda is needed to loosen a dough made from 500 g of flour. To completely displace carbon dioxide from this amount of soda, 4.4 g of tartaric acid, or 4.1 g of citric acid monohydrate, or 3.5 g of acetic acid (39 g of 9% vinegar) will be required. You can calculate the amount of other acidic components using the corresponding reaction equations.

From 4.9 g of baking soda, 2.57 g of carbon dioxide can be displaced, which at a baking temperature (200-270 ° C) will take up a volume of about 1.8 liters.

In the modern version, the dosage recommended for normal loosening of the dough is indicated on the packaging of the baking powder. Each housewife or professional technologist has the opportunity to vary the recommended dosage within reasonable limits to obtain the best quality baking.