Baking powder is a common ingredient used to add volume and lighten the baking powder biscuits of baked goods. If it’s not readily available, there are other ingredients you can use instead. This article looks at 10 great substitutes for baking powder.

Baking powder is a leavening agent often used in baking. It is composed of sodium bicarbonate, known in chemistry as a base. This is paired with an acid, such as cream of tartar. It may also contain a filler, such as cornstarch. Combined with water, the acid reacts with sodium bicarbonate and releases carbon dioxide gas.

Baking powder is often confused with baking soda, which consists only of sodium bicarbonate and is missing the acid component. Therefore, it must be combined with an acid to have the same leavening effect as baking powder. Here are 10 great substitutes for baking powder. Buttermilk is a fermented dairy product with a sour, slightly tangy taste that is often compared to plain yogurt. Old-fashioned buttermilk is a by-product of churning sweet cream into butter. Commercial manufacturers usually make buttermilk by adding bacterial cultures to milk and allowing for fermentation, breaking down sugars into acids. Because of its acidity, combining buttermilk with baking soda can produce the same leavening effect as baking powder.

To maintain the desired texture and consistency of your final baked product, make sure you decrease the amount of other liquid you add to your recipe to compensate for the amount of buttermilk added. Decrease the other liquids in your recipe to maintain the desired consistency. Much like buttermilk, yogurt is produced through the fermentation of milk. The fermentation process breaks down sugars and increases the concentration of lactic acid, effectively lowering the pH and increasing the acidity of the yogurt. The pH of a solution is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions.

Substances that have a low pH are considered acidic, while substances with a high pH are considered basic. Plain yogurt has an acidic pH, which makes it a perfect substitute for baking powder when mixed with baking soda. Plain yogurt works best over other varieties because it provides the acidity needed for leavening without adding flavor. As with buttermilk, the amount of liquid in the recipe should be reduced based on how much plain yogurt is added. The amount of liquid should be reduced to offset the addition of the yogurt.