If youre out of baking powder, youre not out of luck. Thats especially true when making a dish like cornbread, which usually contains the kind of tart, acidic ingredients like molasses, vinegar or buttermilk that interact with a simple pinch of baking soda to help the bread rise.
Even if your cornbread recipe veers toward the non-tart side of the palate, however, options abound for getting around the lack of baking powder.
It makes the batter rise a bit so your cornbread will be light and a little fluffy. If you omit some sort of leavening agent, and baking soda is just one kind, your finished cornbread after baking will be about an inch high, and shall we say, pretty dense.
Baking Soda + Buttermilk
Baking soda helps breads rise when paired with acidic ingredients such as buttermilk. For every teaspoon of baking powder you need to replace, add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to the dry ingredients or increase the baking soda already called for in the recipe by 1/4 teaspoon.
Cornbread normally contains acidic liquids anyway, but if not, swap out 1/2 cup of regular milk or water in the recipe for 1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk when adding the 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to the dry ingredients.
Another option is to add 1/4 cup molasses to the wet ingredients when adding the 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to the dry ingredients.
Cornstarch + Baking Soda + Cream of Tartar
For cornbread and other quick breads reliant on baking powder to rise, combine a few other pantry staples in its place to approximate a commercial baking powder mix. Blend together 2 parts cornstarch, 1 part baking soda and 1 part cream of tartar.
Use this mix as a 1-to-1 substitution for baking powder. For example, a cornbread recipe specifying 1 tablespoon of baking powder can be tweaked by using 1 tablespoon of the blended cornstarch, baking soda and cream of tartar mixture. Use additional baking soda if the cornbread recipe calls for it.
If you have self-rising white flour in your pantry, which is sometimes labeled as cake flour, you wont need to run out to the store for baking powder. Thats because the baking powder is already incorporated into the flour, often along with enough salt to activate the baking powder.
Self-rising cornmeal is also available. If you have one or the other, you wont need another leavening agent, or salt, in your cornbread recipe.
Skillet cornbreads are meant to be denser and flatter than those baked in square or loaf pans. For that reason, they dont generally require baking powder or white flour, relying instead on a small amount of baking soda to keep the bread from being pancake-thin.
After butter is melted in an ovenproof hot skillet, a simple batter made from cornmeal, eggs, baking soda, salt and buttermilk gets poured into the skillet, and the corn bread bakes for about 20 minutes in a 425 degree Fahrenheit oven.
KILL RATS DEAD WITH CORNBREAD MIX & BAKING SODA
FAQ
What can I use if I don’t have baking soda for cornbread?
Can I skip baking powder in cornbread?
Why do you put baking soda in cornbread?
What if I forgot baking powder in cornbread?
Can you use baking soda to make cornbread?
Combine baking soda with another common kitchen acid for the same leavening influence. Many cornbread recipes include buttermilk, which is tart and acidic enough to stimulate rising. If you combine buttermilk with baking soda, you create a leavening agent to replace baking powder.
What can be used as a substitute for egg when baking cornbread?
Aquafaba might be used as a substitute for the egg when baking cornbread. Aquafaba is chickpea water that has a similar function to eggs.
Can you make cornbread without baking powder?
You can make cornbread without baking powder if you use an alternative rising agent, like homemade baking powder, self-raising flour, or baking soda combined with an acid (e.g., buttermilk, yogurt, molasses, vinegar, or lemon juice). Or make cornmeal spoonbread without baking powder.
What are the different ways to make cornbread?
I’ve seen cornbread recipes made so many different ways! Some use buttermilk, some use all cornmeal and no flour, some use baking powder and baking soda. Let’s go over the ingredients I use: Flour: All-purpose flour gives the bread structure so it isn’t too crumbly. Cornmeal: Look for fine ground cornmeal that is stone-ground.