Living in the country, on the farm, it can sometimes be hard to get to town. Be it the weather, too much work, or just plain laziness, we don’t always have everything we might want. For example, when we lived in the city, if we wanted a fresh loaf of French bread for dinner, we just had to run to the grocery store five minutes away. Living in the country it’s a trip, and the local grocery store won’t have fresh bread anyway so why bother? I can’t imagine what it was like for the settlers around these parts, who had to rely on what little bit they brought with them and figure out the rest. In my mind, I would love to be like them, and each day make fresh bread, but I dunno it just takes too much time. I have seen videos of people with sourdough starters on hand, but again that seems like a lot of work. I wonder if the settlers ever felt that way, each day get the wood stove ready to make the bread for the day. At least today, I can tell myself bread has too many carbs, and I don’t need it anyway. But life was different 150 years ago, and a nice loaf of bread might be their only option. Unless there was another option. I am sure not every person 150 years ago had the time, or desire to make bread every day. I am sure they sometimes wanted to be lazy too (we can’t be that much different at heart). And that brings me to the point of my blog today…baking powder. It might seem like a boring topic, after all, it is just something that you add a teaspoon or two to all your favorite recipes, be it biscuits, pancakes, or cookies. But, in reality, it really is an important advancement in the life of the farmer.
Baking powder arose essentially from a desire for convenience. The desire for convenience is something that we sort of take for granted. But we all look for ways to make our lives a little easier, so we can enjoy other things. It was the same with baking. Who wanted to rely on yeast, and the many complications that come from it? We have all tried to make a loaf of bread, only to end up with a flat rock-hard loaf. It is from this common experience that baking powder arose. The Smithsonian Magazine reports that the first modern baking powder was patented in 1856 by a chemist named Eben Norton Horsford. He was not the only one though, as the article notes “Hundreds of smaller manufacturers sprang up across the country, and by the end of the 19th century, the baking powder industry was worth millions of dollars.” Of course the brand that most of us become familiar with is Clabber Girl. According to the company’s website, it was not always Clabber girl though, but rather just Clabber Baking Powder. The girl was added later on when in 1899, “An artist was commissioned to provide a sketch of the girl for the label.”
Have you ever wondered how baking powder works? You add a few teaspoons and your biscuits rise. Be sure to add teaspoons though and not tablespoons, I know from experience. Well, it is a chemical reaction that makes the food rise, and hence it is quicker than waiting for the yeast to do it’s job. Modern baking powder is a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and an acid. The acid is typically something like cream of tarter. According to the Food Network, “Because it already contains an acid, all it needs is moisture and heat added to activate it.” If you have ever added vinegar to baking soda, you know what activate means, lots of bubbles, in other words carbon dioxide gas. Some have argued that baking powder, or soda for that matter, are not always safe. But, like anything, no one is recommending that you eat it in large quantities, although baking soda can certainly settle an acidic stomach if the need arises. Used in proper amounts in baking it is safe and definitely effective in helping your cakes, cookies, and biscuits not turn out flat as…well I would say pancakes but they use baking powder too. Maybe a better phrase is flat as tortillas.
So, the next time you are feeling hungry and a little lazy, pull out you baking powder and whip up some nice hot biscuits. Maybe add a little butter and honey, or strawberry jam. Don’t feel bad, our ancestors put a lot of work and effort into developing this helpful kitchen aid, and saved us a lot of time when you want something yummy to eat and don’t have all day. Add a comment and let me know your favorite thing to make with baking powder.
Looks great!
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