On Baking-powder
Ingredients
Directions
Mix tartaric acid, bicarbonate of soda, and ground rice thoroughly.
Pound any lumps in a mortar if necessary.
Sift the mixture through a fine wire sieve.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Tartaric acid
- Acid that reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to release carbon dioxide for rising.
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Base that supplies carbon dioxide gas when combined with the acid, causing rising.
- Ground rice
- Adds bulk and keeps the acid and base separated and dry until mixed with liquid.
The step that matters
Mixing and sifting thoroughly. Uneven distribution leaves pockets of acid or bicarbonate, so some parts of a bake may rise unevenly or taste bitter or soapy. Breaking lumps and sifting help the powder blend evenly.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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