Baking Soda, Baking Powder & Cream of Tartar

Baking soda and baking powder have been in common use only since the mid-nineteenth century, and feature prominently in northern European and North American recipes. They are well-suited to thin doughs, such as pancake batter, which lack sufficient gluten to contain the carbon dioxide generated by yeast. These chemical raising agents are also used with low-gluten flours that cannot be raised with yeast. They must be measured with care, and can discolor doughs containing chocolate or blueberries.