26/06/2026
Baking Soda Explained (Part 1).
Baking soda is pure bicarbonate, and it only works when you give it the right partner. Because it is basic, it needs an acid plus liquid to release the carbon dioxide that lifts your bake.
The fix:
๐น Baking soda is basic, so it reacts only with acidic ingredients in the recipe.
๐น It needs liquid present to generate the carbon dioxide bubbles that leaven.
๐น It reacts immediately on mixing, so bake the batter straight away or it goes flat.
That's one technique. A pastry chef knows a hundred.