Can you substitute baking powder for bi - carbonate soda in Anzac biscuits?

Answer 1

I have found this on line... but have also noted from my own personal experimentation.. (i used the same quantity and then threw in an extra half a teaspoon.. as you put it straight into the butter/golden syrup mixture.. you can tell by the amount of foam you end up with..***

You could end up needing more baking powder to acheive the same results.. you could have problems doing it the other way round though.. bicarb for baking soda.. but baking soda for bicarb shouldn't be as touchy..

***Bicarbonate of soda and baking powder both work as leavening agents - that is they help foods to rise, but they aren't the same thing so it's risky to use baking powder instead of bicarbonate of soda. How you use them depends on the ingredients you're combining them with. Here's the difference between them.

Bicarbonate of soda is used in recipes that already include an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice, buttermilk or chocolate, because it needs an acidic ingredient, combined with moisture, to create air bubbles which cause food to rise when cooked.

Baking powder actually contains bicarbonate of soda as well as an acidic ingredient so all you need to add is moisture to get it working. But it doesn't achieve the same result as using pure bicarbonate of soda. Bicarbonate of soda, when used in the correct measure, imparts a slightly tangy taste and helps to give a golden colour to baked goods. But it needs that acidic ingredient to do this.

This is why it's important to follow a recipe correctly - including whether it asks for bicarb or baking powder - as the amount that you use and what you combine it with is what makes all the difference. It really is food chemistry at work. ****