ABSTRACT
In France, for example, the boulangers have existed since 1219, baking and selling their own breads. Until breadmaking became commercialized in the 1800s, making bread was the most loving, yet time-consuming, task in the household. Chemical reactions from chemical leaveners, namely baking soda and baking powder, are responsible in some cases, rather than yeast, for producing the gas that allows baked goods to rise and are hence responsible for the tender and fluffy texture of these delightful foods. Chemical leaveners are much faster in action, and the acid/base chemical reactions that are the basis of these leaveners can be more controlled. Baking soda is an alkali, or chemical base, also known as sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda, and more properly called sodium hydrogen carbonate. Baking soda, a key component of baking and the culinary industry, can produce carbon dioxide by two means: heating and reacting with an acid.
