DIY Baking Powder

A reprise of a favorite post that shows you how to make your own baking powder just in time for cookie season.

Holiday baking season is here.  Your heirloom recipes don't deserve stale baking powder.  Happily, it's easy to make your own with pure ingredients you probably already have in the kitchen.

Baking powder that's been on the shelf too long may not provide the expected leavening and I find it can impart a bitter taste to baked goods. 

On top of the opportunity to degrade over time, baking powder comes in sizes that are hard to use up within the recommended six-nine months if you are not a frequent baker.  When you make baking powder  yourself, you can make smaller batches and get the benefits of cooking from scratch with really fresh ingredients.  

The recipe is simple:

2 parts baking soda

1 part cream of tartar

1 part corn starch

Mix well and store in an airtight container.  I like to use a small sifter or strainer to really mix the ingredients together. For my baking needs, I might use these quantities to yield enough for the season:

Holiday Quantity Baking Powder

2 tablespoons baking soda

1 tablespoons cream of tartar

1 tablespoons corn starch

When I mix baking powder into flour, I sift it through a small strainer to keep any clumping at bay.

Happy baking!