How to add baking soda to the dough: the pastries will turn out perfectly fluffy

To ensure that your baked goods are always tender, soft, and fluffy, it is important to know the basic rules for using baking soda. It acts as a leavening agent, ensuring the dough rises and has the perfect texture.

The FoodOboz editorial team will help you understand in detail how to add baking soda to the dough. You'll learn when to leave it out and how to avoid common mistakes.

Why add baking soda to the dough

Baking soda is a natural leavening agent that works by releasing carbon dioxide when it comes into contact with acidic ingredients. This process helps to raise the dough, making the pastries fluffy and tender. However, it is important to use baking soda correctly, as improper dosage or quenching can lead to a bitter taste or uneven rise of the dough.

How to add baking soda correctly

Baking soda is usually added when mixing dry ingredients or at the stage of preparing a liquid base. In yeast doughs, it is added before mixing to reduce the rising time and improve the texture.

If the recipe calls for stewing, it is done just before adding it to the dough. For quenching, use a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to half a teaspoon of baking soda. Once the mixture is foamy, add it to the dough immediately.

If the recipe contains acidic ingredients (kefir, sour cream, lemon juice), you can add baking soda without quenching, as the reaction occurs naturally.

The right dosage

For 500 grams of flour, 1/2-1 teaspoon of baking soda is usually used. If the dough already contains sour ingredients, reduce the dose to avoid bitterness.

How to add baking soda to different types of dough

Yeast dough. Soda is added to improve the texture in a small amount so as not to affect the fermentation process.

Kefir dough. Soda is added together with the liquid ingredients, no stewing is required.

Shortbread dough. Soda is rarely used and only in minimal amounts to ensure a light texture.

Dough for dumplings. Soda makes dumplings soft and fluffy, especially if you use kefir or sour cream.