Why do I need hydrated soda?

A natural substance called "crystalline soda" is extracted from special lakes with a high concentration of salts. When heated to a certain temperature, this substance, initially colorless, becomes a white powder, which we are accustomed to seeing in our kitchens. This is sodium bicarbonate, which is already common, baking soda. It is indispensable in the preparation of any flour products, whether it's pies, cookies or pancakes. Practically with full certainty it can be argued that without this baking powder, there is not a single dough.

But in cooking, the phrase "hydrated soda" is most often found. What does it mean? The point is that soda itself is an alkaline substance. If mixed with acid, a violent chemical reaction occurs. Outwardly it looks like a hiss and rapidly bursting bubbles. From the chemical point of view at this point, water, salt and carbon dioxide are actively released . They, being in the test, give it a more loose structure. Accordingly, to achieve the desired effect, the owners use hydrated soda.

With the help of which they extinguish soda?

You can redeem it in several ways. In principle, anything you like here - lemon juice, powdered citric acid (then it will take more water to start the reaction), sour jam or kefir. In recipes as a basic option, often indicated soda, slaked with vinegar. It can be as apple, cherry, grape, and ordinary table.

In the composition of baking powder (in Russia more familiar as a "baking powder") there are always three elements. Two of them are soda and citric acid, selected in an ideal quantity, so that during the reaction they completely neutralize each other. Therefore, adding extra acid to such a composition is not recommended.

When is added hydrated soda?

Obviously, we can not do without a soda to make a good, fluffy dough. But how and when is it better to add it to achieve maximum effect? Often the mistresses make the mistake of adding this substance to the ready-made liquid dough: they collect a third of a teaspoon of soda and extinguish it with vinegar right in the air, holding it over the dishes. And after that, the hydrated soda falls into the total mass. This means that its useful properties have time to fade together with carbon dioxide before they are in the test. A useful effect due to ill-considered actions is minimized.

True cooks know that it is much more reasonable to mix soda with flour, and acid - with liquid ingredients. And as the last component is better to use not vinegar, and lemon juice. If kefir is used in the test, additional acid is not needed at all, since it replaces it with success. Further all the necessary ingredients of the dough are quickly mixed, and it is put into the oven without too much delay. This is due to the fact that the loosening effect reaches its peak at the very beginning, and then gradually comes to naught.

But if the soda is not extinguished, then it can give an unpleasant aftertaste to the baking. Not to mention the fact that the dough in this case risks acquiring a brown or even a greenish tinge.

Soda or baking powder?

In some baking recipes it is recommended to add only soda, others advise baking powder, and still others require both. In fact, it all depends on the composition of the test. For example, if it contains honey, then the baking powder will not help here. Various fruit juices, yogurt and whey, chocolate in addition to baking powder require the mandatory addition of soda. It is she who neutralizes excess acid.

Also, soda and baking powder can be replaced with each other while observing the correct proportions. Usually baking powder is needed twice as much. But everything depends on the conscientiousness of the manufacturer. In some cases, they add too much flour (or starch) to the powder, which makes its properties worse. Therefore, sometimes you need to move away from strictly following the recipe and add more baking powder to the dough.