djs0302 wrote:
> Vox Humana wrote:
> > A more easy to understand and therefore more educational comparison would be
> > to make the recipe with no leavening agent, with baking soda only, and with
> > baking powder only. The first to batches should be the same - flat. This
> > would show that baking soda ALONE is not a leavening agent. The batch with
> > baking power should be normal, thus proving you need both an acid and baking
> > soda (aka BAKING POWDER) for CO2 production.
>
> Without knowing what's in the recipe you can't say that the batch with
> just baking soda will come out flat. There may be an acidic ingredient
> in the recipe, such as brown sugar.

Actually, the acidic ingredient was the buttermilk. Another independent
variable we could have tried was to keep the soda-powder the same, and
vary the liquid (milk, water, buttermilk, apple juice) and tested the
response to different acidity, but that's a little over her head at her
current level of knowledge.

The funny thing is, the all-baking-soda was actually the best loaf.
highest rise, fluffiest texture, nice and moist, good crumb, nicely
browned. We liked it just as much as the original recipe!!