The culinary world is not as simple as it seems because, in cooking professionalism, no one really follows the recipe word for word. Chefs make ingredient substitutes based on their own discretion and convenience.
You and I, we do the same in our kitchens like consider you are halfway through a recipe when you realize that you have no tomatoes left, but you do have some yogurt, so you decide to use it instead.
You made a substitution for convenience, and the most important thing to know when making a substitution is to be sure that it is an appropriate substitute that you’re making.
Now having said that can you replace baking soda with cornstarch? Is it a proper substitute? Keep on reading to find out.
Can I Use Cornstarch Instead Of Baking Soda?
You are halfway through your recipe when you read the words ‘baking soda’ in the book. You realize you don’t have any baking soda available in your kitchen.
Right now, a trip to the store is difficult, and you would do all you can to avoid it. Something catches your eye, and it’s cornstarch.
You’ve heard there’s cornstarch in baking soda; they’re both white, and feel the same in texture, and it’s just so tempting to add it instead, but you’re hesitant.
You ask yourself if you are making the appropriate substitute well, let me answer your question for you, You cannot replace baking soda with cornstarch. There are a couple of reasons for that,
- First of all, Baking Soda is a mixture of Sodium hydroxide, which is a base, cream of tartar, which is an acid, and finally, cornstarch which is the endosperm of the corn seed.
- Cornstarch is a thickening agent, while baking powder is a leavening agent which reacts with cream of tartar to cause puffing of the bakery product
Why Not Use Cornstarch?
You can not use cornstarch as a substitute for baking powder because cornstarch causes the thickening of the baking emulsion, while baking powder is used for its leavening.
Now I know they look alike and feel the same, but just because two things look alike, it does not mean that they are actually the same because these two products have different chemical properties.
Many people think cornstarch can replace baking powder because normally cornstarch is a component of baking powder, but that’s false because its amount is small in comparison to other components and is not sufficient to cause enough thickening to create any problems.
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Is All Baking Powder Made With Cornstarch?
A bit of cornstarch is used in all types of baking powder because it has an essential role to play. You see, baking powder is made by the combination of a base like sodium bicarbonate and a dry acid like cream of tartar.
Acid and base react with each other in a neutralization reaction to release carbon dioxide, which raises the bakery dough and causes fluffiness. The function of cornstarch is to keep the acid and base from reacting before
Does Cornstarch Or Baking Powder make things Crispy?
No, not really. Cornstarch is an agent used to thicken the consistency of things like soups, stews, and other mixtures. Cornstarch is denser than flour and so less of it is required to get the desired consistency.
Cornstarch molecules thicken the mixture by absorbing all the water. On the other hand, there is a baking powder which is used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of bakery goods.
The dry acid and base of baking powder neutralize each other when water is added and release carbon dioxide, which lifts the bakery dough and makes it lighter. So no, neither cornstarch nor baking powder can make things crispy.
Can I Use Cornstarch Instead Of Baking Powder For Pancakes?
You can if you have a thing for eating bad pancakes. The best pancakes are the ones that are the fluffiest, and fluffiness and lightness of texture always come from using baking powder.
You can’t use cornstarch which has exactly the opposite effect, i.e., thickening – and still expect the pancakes to be good and fluffy.
Final Verdict:
Substituting one thing in a recipe for another thing for your convenience is not something that is wrong if you are making the right substitute. Culinary knowledge is important to avoid wrong substitutions, which could ruin your whole dish.
As far as we are concerned about the substitution between cornstarch and baking powder, it is absolutely inappropriate. The two ingredients couldn’t be more different in function, even though cornstarch itself is a part of baking powder.
