Baking powder

Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent used in baking. When it comes in contact with acidic ingredient, it releases carbon dioxide gas, which forms bubbles and leavens the mixture it is in.

Common baking powder formulations include:

• sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar
• calcium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate
• sodium bicarbonate and citric acid

The baking powder was invented by Eben Norton Horsford, a student of Justus von Liebig, who began his studies on baking powder in 1856. Until as recently as the 1980s, many baking powders contained calcium aluminum phosphate or other aluminium salts. These have been phased out, as aluminum is now believed to be detrimental to human health at much lower levels than formerly thought.

Rudolf Oetker, a German pharmacist, made baking powder very popular when he began selling his mixture to housewives. The same recipe he invented in 1893 is still sold as Backin in Germany. Oetker started the mass production of baking powder in 1898 and patented his technique in 1903.

See also: Baking soda