I made cornbread yesterday. We didn’t have the right baking powder. The brand we have forms clumps in the food, so you get a bite of just baking powder. I also used egg substitute powder. I told my mom about the baking powder, but she said it was fine and I’m being obsessive. I hate being called obsessive. So I just put it in like normal. It came out looking strange, but I don’t care how it looks. Everyone else seems to. They said they won’t eat it because it has egg substitute. I had a piece, and I could taste the baking powder. I hate it. My mom is still claiming that the baking powder is fine. She says the problem is that it doesn’t have eggs, and I should use real eggs next time. I don’t know how to convince her it’s the baking powder. I feel obligated to eat the whole thing because if I don’t eat it and say it’s good she’ll blame it not being good on egg substitute. But the baking powder is all wrong. I hate it. Why is it that when vegan food is bad, everyone blames the vegan ingredients? When non-vegan food is bad, no one says, “It’s bad because it has eggs. You should use chickpea powder instead.”
Made cornbread, and now I’m frustrated
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Baking powder should be stored in a cool dry place such as a cupboard. You should always sift (even twice) any powdered ingredient that you are adding to flour. You will not have clumps of the baking powder (or other) in this manner.
Moreover, when I make cornbread I never add egg substitute; only pb milk and oil. It comes out nice and light every time.
I have a very fine wire mesh sieve I use for baking powder (bicarb for UK peeps!) as well as baking soda--and anything else dry that may be lumpy.
Another thing you can do is mix it with the liquid.
I also never use egg substitute. I do like mine with unsweetened applesauce, or creamed corn, or jalepanos and corn kernals. I'm not a fan of the sweet cakey types. I do use plant milk, usually plain soy, with a Tblsp of vinegar which is a sub for buttermilk
What kind are you looking for? I'll see if there is a cornbread section in the files
I was confused about what some of the different terms (baking powder, bicarb, etc) in this thread meant, so I did a bit of googling:
I think that what I knew as "baking powder" (long ago!!!) is no longer used; it contained aluminum, and is no longer considered acceptable for consumption. The baking powder we're talking about is quite safe (other than the fact that it contains sodium, and should perhaps be avoided by people on low-sodium diets). It leavens baked goods by making bubbles in the batter, but there must be something acidic in the batter (vinegar, buttermilk, etc) for this to occur. I haven't made anything with baking soda / powder in ages- for example, I was going to type "sour milk" instead of "buttermilk" in the previous sentence, and thought "Hey!! Wait.. that CAN'T be right..."
I don't think baking soda tastes that bad... kind of salty, maybe?... although I can imagine too much of it in cornbread wouldn't improve the taste. A whole clump of it in the cornbread would definitely not taste good- but besides that, it wouldn't lighten your cornbread if it wasn't evenly mixed/sifted into the batter, as @shyvas and @silva advise.
I think that what I knew as "baking powder" (long ago!!!) is no longer used; it contained aluminum, and is no longer considered acceptable for consumption. The baking powder we're talking about is quite safe (other than the fact that it contains sodium, and should perhaps be avoided by people on low-sodium diets). It leavens baked goods by making bubbles in the batter, but there must be something acidic in the batter (vinegar, buttermilk, etc) for this to occur. I haven't made anything with baking soda / powder in ages- for example, I was going to type "sour milk" instead of "buttermilk" in the previous sentence, and thought "Hey!! Wait.. that CAN'T be right..."
I don't think baking soda tastes that bad... kind of salty, maybe?... although I can imagine too much of it in cornbread wouldn't improve the taste. A whole clump of it in the cornbread would definitely not taste good- but besides that, it wouldn't lighten your cornbread if it wasn't evenly mixed/sifted into the batter, as @shyvas and @silva advise.
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There are many baking powders that don't use aluminium-I've been using Argo for years. While I do think the aluminum salts (or whatever it was) had a more distinct metallic taste, I never liked biscuits as a kid and that's probably why.
I also know what they mean by "taste the powder" when it isn't fully dissolved, which is why I always use a fine wire mesh sieve to break up any kind of dry powder.
I don't use soda in cornbread though, only 1 T baking powder. Baking powder already contains an acid, as well as a starch component. It's baking soda that needs an acid to leaven
This is the recipe I like, it's more dense and just a bit sweet. I mostly use with homemade refried beans or chili.
Sometimes sub a can of creamed corn
www.copymethat.com
Sometimes sub a can of creamed corn
cornbread
www.copymethat.com
I haven't made anything with either baking soda or baking powder in a long time. I remember very often being disappointed that I could taste it in the breads I would make. Now I either make yeastbreads or, more often, I cook my grains in a porridge without any leavening at all, which I much prefer. Corn can be made as grits or polenta, neither of which require leavening.
I also find it much easier to cook for myself only. Then I only have one person's tastes to take into account (mine) and I don't have to worry about what 5 other people do and don't want. Preparing something for others makes me very nervous!
I also find it much easier to cook for myself only. Then I only have one person's tastes to take into account (mine) and I don't have to worry about what 5 other people do and don't want. Preparing something for others makes me very nervous!
The only time I taste baking powder in a recipe is for vegan drop biscuits, but in that recipe it's intentional. I actually quite like the strong baking powder flavor in those biscuits.Interesting conversation. I often use baking powder and/or soda and have never ever tasted it in anything I've made.
