What’s the difference between yeast, baking powder and baking soda? Can they be used together?

Yeast, baking powder and baking soda are three common leavening or foaming agents that are familiar to housewives or food lovers, and they are almost indispensable in the kitchen of every household.

However, for those who are new to the kitchen or are not familiar with pasta, they may not know the characteristics of these three and what the differences are. Which one should be used when?

Today, by engaged in pastry work for more than 30 years of professional pastry chef Hu master for you to explain, to ensure that you understand at a glance. Learn this knowledge, novice can also steam soft and white and delicious steamed bread to.

First: yeast

Yeast is some single-celled fungi, can ferment sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide, distributed in nature, is a typical parthenogenetic anaerobic microorganisms, in aerobic and anaerobic conditions are able to survive, is a kind of natural green and safe leavening agent.

The fermentation principle of yeast powder is that the yeast powder and dough will produce a large amount of carbon dioxide under a certain temperature and humidity to achieve the effect of promoting the rise of the dough. It is a one-time fermentation, that is, after the dough is mixed, it starts to ferment, usually the temperature is too high, the yeast will be killed, too low, the dough will not be able to rise, the temperature of the yeast water is controlled at the best 30-40 degrees. Adding some sugar to the dough during the fermentation process will speed up the fermentation process.

Yeast powder is mainly used for fermentation, it is a kind of natural biological bacteria, which is not harmful to human body. And because it is fast-fermenting and safe, it is most used in home kitchens. People often use it to evaporate noodle buns, buns or pancakes.

Second: Baking Powder

Baking powder is a compound bulking agent, a white powder made from baking soda with the addition of acidic materials and cornflour as a filler, also known as baking powder and foaming powder. Some recipes are aluminium-containing The fermentation principle of baking powder is the secondary fermentation in the presence of heat. It is when the steamed buns are ready to go on the steamer, they encounter heat and then start to ferment. Its rise is not affected by temperature and humidity, and it is a neutral substance.

Baking powder has the effect of rising fast fluffy, also used in the production of pastry, it is more used in baking such as cakes, peach cake, biscuits and so on, steamed bread and mixed grain cake can also be used, but relatively less. Especially added aluminium is not good for human health.

Third: baking soda

Here refers to edible baking soda, rather than industrial soda and baking soda, is made from a solution or crystals of soda ash after absorbing carbon dioxide. Baking soda is an alkaline substance, it can not promote the dough fermentation, but it has an important role, is and acidic substances and lead neutralisation, that is to say, in the case of over-fermented dough, used to neutralize the sour taste, the effect is very good.

Of course, the use of baking soda or alkali was the way to make dough when yeast was not invented, that is, it was used to neutralise the acidic substances that were easily produced when people used flour fertiliser or old yeast to make dough. The amount of baking soda used is generally: 1 catty of flour with 5-6 grams of baking soda, usually the noodles do not stick to the hands and eat sweet that is the most appropriate amount of use.

Baking soda can also be used in baked goods, I baked peach crisp with baking soda. Baking soda is also great for cleaning, washing the sink, wiping the stove top, etc.

All three of these foaming agents work in much the same way, by generating a large amount of carbon dioxide gas in the dough, which expands as it heats up during the cooking process, making the flour fluffy and tasty. But the principle is different. Yeast flour is through the biological process of yeast fermentation is completed, not only safe and harmless, but also with the effect of improving the nutritional value of pasta; while baking soda and foaming powder is a chemical process, will seriously damage the B vitamins in the flour.

It is best not to mix these foaming agents, so as not to produce chemical reactions and affect the taste! However, they can be used together under special circumstances. Because I’ve used them, I’ve used them when I made cornmeal whipped cream, put the baking powder in first and then the yeast, and used the baking soda after the flour was raised, and it made a pretty good finished product.