A Baking Soda Experiment

Sep 20 13:23 UTC 1997

So, the last few times I made chocolate chip cookies from my favorite recipe,
I noticed that when I'd eaten a few, I felt sort of funny and I'd get sweaty
on my face sort of right below my eyes.  Since, except for baking soda, I eat
all the other ingredients of chocolate chip cookies in other foods and I don't
have this reaction, I got to wondering just what it is that baking soda *does*
in cookies.  Is it a necessary ingredient?  Baking *powder* makes things
rise.  Baking *soda* doesn't.  So what *does* it do?

First I consulted Harold McGee's _On Food And Cooking_, which is a wonderful
book about the science of what goes on in the kitchen.  It's full of molecular
diagrams and scholarly discussions.  I looked up "baking soda" in the index.
There wasn't an entry that explained what baking soda does.  But it was
mentioned in several experiments where you would want to turn something more
alkaline.  For example, if you take purple cabbage and spread baking soda
on it, I think the book said it'll change color like litmus paper.  I also
ran across a mention that those big bread-y commercial pretzels are sprayed
with a weak solution of *lye* before they are baked.  The lye contributes to
the "browning reaction" that takes place as the pretzels bake.  In the
process, it is converted to harmless carbon dioxide, so that pretzels are
indeed safe to eat.

This still didn't answer my question about what baking soda does in cookie
dough.  So, I decided to experiment.  I baked up a half-sized batch of my
favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe -- leaving out the baking soda.

The cookies came out very pale on top, and as brown as always on the bottom.
They didn't spread out as much as other cookies I've baked, but I think this
is because the oven temperature was set a little on the high side, and not
because of the baking soda.

Aha!  Baking soda contributes to the "browning reaction".  Without it, the
cookies weren't brown on top.

They taste fine, although a little bit less crunchy than other cookies.  My
face isn't sweating.

Does anybody else's face sweat when they eat cookies, baking soda, alkaline
foods, etc?  I sometimes react the same way to ketchup, but I believe it's
acidic.

Interesting....

response 2 of 18:

Sep 21 14:19 UTC 1997

Interesting.  Is it normal to get all sweaty under the eyes after eating foods
that are high in sodium and sugar, or is it a sign of some kind of medical
problem?

response 4 of 18:

Sep 21 16:08 UTC 1997

Valerie, do you get a similar reaction to other rather sweet foods (hot
chocolate or sugar cookies?)  Heat intolerance, including sweating
uncomfortably when I atte something high in calories or saweet was a symptom
I didn't recognize until it was gone.  (diabetes, I mean)  You're yoyoung ans
slender so it's unlikely, but hey, much better to check anf know for sure.

response 6 of 18:

Sep 21 21:11 UTC 1997

Valerie, baking powder contains baking soda.  

It is sodium bicarbonate, and it is indeed an ingrediant that makes baked
goods rise.  Any base combined with an acid will form carbon dioxide. 
Baking soda is the base, and you can combine it with acid things like
molasses, sour milk, spices and so on you get the chemical reaction (the
base with the acid) that forms carbon dioxide, which is the gas that
forms the bubbles in your baked goods. (non-yeast, that is).

Baking powder is simply a (dry) base combined with a (dry) acid.  The
chemical reaction occurs when you moisten these two things with water,
milk, etc.  

If you run out of baking powder you can make it at home by combining 2 tsp
cream of tartar, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt. (per cup of flour). 
This is a tartrate baking powder, and is a very fast riser (read chemical
reactor). Posphate baking powders use calcium acid posphate or sodium and
rise more slowly, thus can be used in batters that are to be refrigerated. 

S.A.S baking powders use sodium aluminum sulfate and calcium acid
phosphate, and are what we normally call baking powder. They are calld
"double acting" because they start working in cold dough but the most
rising occurs when the dough gets hot in the oven. 

response 8 of 18:

Sep 23 21:42 UTC 1997

(btw, Valerie, have you ever played with corn starch?  Take two
tablespoons of it in your hand, and add enough water to hold
it together, but no more thean that.  You'll find that you can
roll the cornstarch into a ball, and it'll keep its shape as
long as you're rolling it.  But as soon as you stop, it 'melts'.
So, you can roll it into a ball again, and....)

response 10 of 18:

Sep 24 04:23 UTC 1997

   You might have an inferior grade of soda in the Kroger box. As I recall,
the USP is usually an indication of a pharmacuetical grade substance.
Some waters are labeled USP. 
   Also, Bicarbonate of Soda looks like it differs from Sodium Bicarbonate.
I *think* soda and sodium are two different chemicals. Maybe Rane can clarify
this.

response 12 of 18:

Sep 24 15:19 UTC 1997

  Learn something new every day. I never knew that dave, Thanks.

response 14 of 18:

Dec 24 16:42 UTC 1997

It claims to be Mrs. Fields' cookie recipe.  But lots of cookie recipes claim
that.  Anyway, here 'tis:


1/2 pound butter (two sticks)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips (12 ounce bag)

Beat butter until you can't stand it anymore.  Add sugar.  Repeat.  Add all
ingredients except flour and chips.  Again beat until you can't stand it.
Add flour and eggs.  Stir until mixed; avoid stirring too much.  Bake at 350
degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

response 16 of 18:

Dec 30 15:02 UTC 1997

Oh -- last time I made that recipe, I spiked the cookies with lots of tiny
pieces of chopped up Australian crystalized ginger.  The resulting ginger-
chocolate-chip cookies were wonderful.

response 18 of 18:

Jan 23 06:53 UTC 1998

<grin>  Thanks!