Baking soda

Sodium bicarbonate, an alkaline leavener that releases carbon dioxide when it meets an acid in a batter or dough.

Baking soda: a small glass bowl of fine white baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) with a measuring spoon, a halved lemon beside it
  • Baking ingredients and additives

Also called: bicarbonate of soda, sodium bicarbonate

Baking soda needs an acid to work: buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream, brown sugar, honey, natural cocoa or lemon juice. It reacts as soon as it is wet, so batters leavened only with soda are best baked promptly. It is much stronger than baking powder, so small measuring mistakes show; too much leaves a soapy, metallic taste.

Because it makes doughs more alkaline, baking soda also encourages browning and spreading, which is why many cookie recipes use it.

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Related entries

Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Sodium Bicarbonate, BCcampus Open Education (Understanding Ingredients for the Canadian Baker)
  2. How Ingredients Affect "How the Cookie Crumbles", Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (AnswerLine)
  3. § 184.1736 Sodium bicarbonate, U.S. Government Publishing Office / eCFR (21 CFR 184.1736)