Mix up this baking essential — or a good substitute — in minutes. Stacey Ballis is a novelist, cookbook author, and food writer with 20 years of experience. She has authored a cookbook called "Big ...

Baking soda works with acidic ingredients to create light, airy baked goods. Baking powder is a double-acting leavener that ensures proper rise and texture. Recipes with both leaveners balance flavor, ...

Baking powder and baking soda are two of the most important ingredients on the baker’s shelf. The advent of these chemical leaveners — as opposed to relying on naturally occurring yeast or the ...