On Baking-powder
Ingredients
Directions
Make the mixture
Mix tartaric acid, bicarbonate of soda, and ground rice thoroughly.
Remove any lumps by pounding in a mortar if necessary.
Sift the mixture through a fine wire sieve.
Use the baking powder
Use 1 teaspoon of this mixture per pound of flour for plain pastry and rich cakes.
For scones, plain cakes, and suet puddings, use 2 teaspoons per pound of flour.
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
- Reacts with bicarbonate of soda in the presence of moisture to release carbon dioxide for lift.
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Supplies the alkali that releases carbon dioxide gas when combined with the acid, causing batters to rise.
- Ground rice
- Keeps the powder dry and separates the acid and alkali so they do not react before baking.
The step that matters
Sift the mixture through a fine wire sieve. Sifting breaks up clumps and distributes the acid and alkali evenly, so each portion of flour rises uniformly instead of leaving bitter pockets or uneven texture.
“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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