Benefits


 * Baking powder **** is a dry chemical **[|**]raising[| agent**]** used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked goods such as **[|**muffins**]**, **[|**cakes**]** , **[|**scones**]** and North American **[|**biscuits**]** . Baking powder works by releasing **[|**carbon dioxide**]** gas into a batter or dough through an acid-base reaction, causing bubbles in the wet mixture to expand and thus **[|**leavening**]** the mixture. It is used instead of **[|**yeast**]** for end-products where fermentation flavors would be undesirable ** ** or where the batter lacks the elastic structure to hold gas bubbles for more than a few minutes. Because carbon dioxide is released at a faster rate through the acid-base reaction than through fermentation, breads made by chemical leavening are called **[|**quick breads**]** . **
 * Most commercially available baking powders are made up of an alkaline component (typically baking soda, also known as ** [|**sodium bicarbonate**] ** ), one or more ** [|**acid salts**] **, and an inert starch ( ** [|**cornstarch**] ** in most cases, though ** [|**potato starch**] ** may also be used). Baking soda is the source of the carbon dioxide, and the acid-base reaction is more accurately described as an acid-activated decomposition of baking soda, which can be generically represented as **