Sometimes you come across an old cookbook and see a cookie recipe that calls for baking ammonia or ammonium bicarbonate. Not to be confused with ammonia from household cleaners or substances that build up in the body, baker’s ammonia is safe to use in baking. But what happens when we mix ammonium bicarbonate and baking soda (combination of ammonium bicarbonate and baking soda)? What is the reaction? And are cakes or cookies safe to eat?
Ammonia and baking soda reaction
Is it okay to mix ammonia and baking soda? Yeah. In most cases, people mix ammonia and baking soda as a cleaning agent. Along with a little water, ammonia and baking soda can form a paste that removes stains from household appliances and cast iron pans. However, this is not ammonia that you want to include in your recipe.
Ammonium carbonate (also called ammonium bicarbonate) is another leavening agent that can be used for baking. Like baking soda, ammonium bicarbonate (baker’s ammonia) reacts when mixed with acid and liquid.
Usually, using ammonium bicarbonate and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) together will not have any noticeable effect. Both of them are baked in the dough in the right conditions. However, if the recipe is high in moisture, such as a cake, ammonia may remain in the remaining salts and smell in the finished product.
What happens when you use ammonium bicarbonate?
How does ammonium bicarbonate or baking ammonia work by itself? Prior to the 19th century, when baking powder and baking soda were newly introduced, ammonia was a common baking ingredient. In fact, many low-moisture recipes, such as British and Middle Eastern biscuits and crackers, still use ammonium bicarbonate to this day.
– Application of ammonium bicarbonate in bakery and cake baking
The only drawback is its smell. In fact, in the Victorian era, baker’s ammonia was put under women’s noses to relieve them of lethargy and depression.
If you can get past the smell, you’ll find that ammonium bicarbonate produces very crunchy snacks. This is because as the gases escape, they leave behind smaller air bubbles than carbon dioxide. Also, according to science, ammonium bicarbonate leaves no residue, so the pH is not affected.
Can ammonium bicarbonate and baking soda be used interchangeably?
Yes, There is no problem in combination of ammonium bicarbonate and baking soda and you can mix ammonium bicarbonate and baking soda. Ammonia is destroyed along with the released carbon dioxide. You can use the products interchangeably in recipes, but only in products that are low in moisture. Anything above 5% humidity will cause ammonia gas to dissolve in the water.
If you are concerned about the formation of ammonium salts due to the reaction with sodium bicarbonate, don’t worry. Under the right conditions—like baking wafers or thin, crispy cookies—the salts that form are the first to break down in heat.
Conclusion
Remember, we are not talking about household ammonia, which is a toxic liquid. Never consume it. However, if you have ammonium bicarbonate, you can certainly use it in addition to baking soda or as a substitute if you run out of baking powder. Just make sure your recipe doesn’t require too much moisture.
Ammonium bicarbonate price
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