yield not less than 12 per cent available car¬
bon dioxide gas. While the various brands
of baking powders may differ in strength,
few, if any, are manufactured to yield less
than 13 per cent or more than 18 per cent
by weight of available carbon dioxide.1 Most
powders yield about 14 per cent carbon di¬
oxide when fresh. This means that 100 grams
of baking powder will release approximately
14 grams of carbon dioxide. The price of
baking powder is no measure of its leavening
ability, but is based on the cost of the acid
ingredient.
Kinds. The variable ingredient in differ¬
ent baking powders is the acid. There are
three general kinds of powders, depending
upon the kind of acid they contain. Each
powder is named according to its acid¬
reacting component. These are:
1. Tartrate Powders, or those in which
the acid is in the form of cream of tartar, or
cream of tartar plus tartaric acid. There are
at least two well-known brands of this kind
of powder. These are quick-acting baking
powders.
2. Phosphate Powders, or those in which
the acid component is an. acid phosphate of
calcium. There are two modifications of this
kind of powder. Two old well-known brands
belong to one modification, which contains
the hydrate of monocalcium phosphate and
is comparatively fast-acting. The other
modification is fairly new. The acid is in a
less-soluble form of the monocalcium phos¬
phate and so liberates gas more slowly than
the original phosphate powders.
3. Sodium Aluminum Sulphate Pow¬
ders, often called S.A.S. baking powders, or
those containing two acid components —
hydrate of monocalcium phosphate (the same
as the phosphate powders) and sodium alu-
^Available carbon dioxide is the amount of carbon
dioxide liberated from the baking powder under
mixing and baking conditions, and is that part which
accomplishes the actual leavening.
minum sulphate. The latter ingredient is not
an acid, but it forms an acid by the addition
of water. This hydrolytic process is slow and
incomplete in the batter or dough until the
mixture is heated. These powders, there¬
fore, are double-acting and are designated in
that way, one reaction taking place in the
cold, the other during cooking. This type of
baking powder is widely distributed.
As has been indicated, these three kinds
of baking powders behave differently in
flour mixtures, giving off carbon dioxide at
different rates. For this reason they should
be used in different proportions and also
handled differently. With tartrate powders,
which are rapid in reaction, much of the gas
may be formed during mixing. As much as 90
per cent of the gas may be liberated at room
temperature. This means one must work
rapidly when using this kind of powder.
On the other hand, the S.A.S. powders
are slowest in reaction and must be heated
before the reaction is complete. When these
powders are used there is no special need for
haste; in fact, the batter or dough may be
made up beforehand and held until time for
baking.
Table LXI compares the three kinds of
baking powders as to acid components, rate
of reaction, and average amounts to use to
each cup of flour. Good results can be ob¬
tained with all kinds of baking powders if
each is properly handled.
Page 266
Presented as published in 1935. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
yield not less than 12 per cent available car¬ bon dioxide gas. While the various brands of baking powders may differ in strength, few, if any, are manufactured to yield less than 13 per cent or more than 18 per cent by weight of available carbon dioxide.1 Most powders yield about 14 per cent carbon dioxide when fresh. This means that 100 grams of baking powder will release approximately 14 grams of carbon dioxide. The price of baking powder is no measure of its leavening ability, but is based on the cost of the acid ingredient.
Kinds. The variable ingredient in differ¬ ent baking powders is the acid. There are three general kinds of powders, depending upon the kind of acid they contain. Each powder is named according to its acid-reacting component. These are:
1. Tartrate Powders, or those in which the acid is in the form of cream of tartar, or cream of tartar plus tartaric acid. There are at least two well-known brands of this kind of powder. These are quick-acting baking powders.
2. Phosphate Powders, or those in which the acid component is an. acid phosphate of calcium. There are two modifications of this kind of powder. Two old well-known brands belong to one modification, which contains the hydrate of monocalcium phosphate and is comparatively fast-acting. The other modification is fairly new. The acid is in a less-soluble form of the monocalcium phosphate and so liberates gas more slowly than the original phosphate powders.
3. Sodium Aluminum Sulphate Pow¬ ders, often called S.A.S. baking powders, or those containing two acid components — hydrate of monocalcium phosphate (the same as the phosphate powders) and sodium alu-
^Available carbon dioxide is the amount of carbon dioxide liberated from the baking powder under mixing and baking conditions, and is that part which accomplishes the actual leavening.
minum sulphate. The latter ingredient is not an acid, but it forms an acid by the addition of water. This hydrolytic process is slow and incomplete in the batter or dough until the mixture is heated. These powders, there¬ fore, are double-acting and are designated in that way, one reaction taking place in the cold, the other during cooking. This type of baking powder is widely distributed.
As has been indicated, these three kinds of baking powders behave differently in flour mixtures, giving off carbon dioxide at different rates. For this reason they should be used in different proportions and also handled differently. With tartrate powders, which are rapid in reaction, much of the gas may be formed during mixing. As much as 90 per cent of the gas may be liberated at room temperature. This means one must work rapidly when using this kind of powder.
On the other hand, the S.A.S. powders are slowest in reaction and must be heated before the reaction is complete. When these powders are used there is no special need for haste; in fact, the batter or dough may be made up beforehand and held until time for baking.
Table LXI compares the three kinds of baking powders as to acid components, rate of reaction, and average amounts to use to each cup of flour. Good results can be ob¬ tained with all kinds of baking powders if each is properly handled.