What’s the Difference Between Baking Soda, Baking Powder and Yeast?

If you spend any time baking in the kitchen, you probably have a few containers of baking soda and baking powder stashed in the pantry. And if you like to make fresh loaves of bread or cinnamon rolls, you probably keep yeast on hand, too. At least one of them shows up in almost every baking recipe you find, but have you ever wondered what the difference is between them? Keep reading to find out how they differ and when you should use each.

Baking Soda

Otherwise known as sodium bicarbonate, baking soda is considered a chemical leavening agent that helps baked goods rise. The key thing to remember with baking soda is that is it not acidic. When you mix it with something acidic, like buttermilk, it will produce carbon dioxide gas. Not sure what that means? Think about those childhood baking soda and vinegar volcanoes, and you’ve got the right idea.

When to Use Baking Soda

Because baking soda reacts with acidic ingredients, it’s often found in recipes that feature things like buttermilk, brown sugar, yogurt, cocoa powder and lemon juice. When the acidic ingredient and baking soda combine, the batter will expand and grow. Baking soda can also aid in browning, which is why it’s a prominent ingredient in most cookie recipes. If you forget to include baking soda in your cakes and cookies, you’ll end up with flat and dense bakes.

See more: Guide to Alternative Flours

Baking Powder

Baking powder is a combination of baking soda and dry acids like cream of tartar. If you’re wondering how you can combine the two without experiencing the volcano eruption mentioned earlier, the answer is simple: the two ingredients are dry. But when baking powder interacts with a liquid, it activates the expansion of the batter.

Unlike baking soda, baking powder is more commonly found in recipes that don’t have much else in the way of acidic ingredients. You may also notice the “double acting” label on some grocery store baking powders. Double acting is just a fancy way of saying you can expect the baking powder to activate once it interacts with liquid and heat.

When to Use Baking Powder in Baking

Baking powder is often the key leavening agent in recipes such as biscuits, which don’t require any acidic ingredients (although buttermilk biscuits are a different story). Otherwise, you may find more recipes calling for baking soda.

Yeast

Yeast is another leavening agent commonly found in baked goods, but it’s a whole different animal than baking soda and baking powder. It’s comprised of single-celled organisms that munch on sugars and produce carbon dioxide in return, which makes dough rise. Yeast won’t activate until combined with a warm liquid and sugar (often granulated sugar, honey or fruit juice). A big benefit of bakes made with yeast is that they encourage elasticity and create a beautifully textured bread (think fluffy and decadent).

When to Use Yeast in Baking

Unlike baking soda and baking powder, yeast is a live organism. Its biological leavening process (sometimes referred to as fermentation) takes longer and is therefore best suited for doughs that need a little more rising time. Most sandwich breads, enriched doughs (like cinnamon rolls) and pizza doughs call for yeast and a decent rising time.

See more: How to Make a Perfect Pie Crust From Scratch