History of Baking Powders
Before baking powder was invented, cooks used baking soda together with an acid liquid such as sour milk, vinegar, lemon juice or cream of tartar. The liquid reacts quickly with the baking soda and creates gas bubbles, which create the leavening effect. When using this method, the product must be baked as soon as possible, before the bubbles disappear and the leavening effect is lost.
Chemist Alfred J. Bird invented the first modern baking powder in 1843, whilst trying to create a yeast-free bread for his wife, Elizabeth, who had allergies to eggs and yeast. It was Elizabeth’s allergy to eggs that led to the invention of Bird’s Custard Powder too, but that’s another story.
Bird knew that his invention would be a valuable one. He soon secured an order from the British army and his product was used to make fresh bread, cakes and puddings for British troops stationed overseas.
Chemist Alfred J. Bird invented the first modern baking powder in 1843, whilst trying to create a yeast-free bread for his wife, Elizabeth, who had allergies to eggs and yeast. It was Elizabeth’s allergy to eggs that led to the invention of Bird’s Custard Powder too, but that’s another story.
Bird knew that his invention would be a valuable one. He soon secured an order from the British army and his product was used to make fresh bread, cakes and puddings for British troops stationed overseas.
It was a German pharmacist, August Oetker, who first popularised baking powder, selling it to housewives. His formulation was created in 1891 and his production technique was patented in 1903. Marketed as Backin, the formulation is still sold under the same name today.
In the USA, Eben Norton Horsford developed and patented a variety called Rumford Baking Powder in 1865. This was originally sold in bottles, but Horsford wanted to use metal cans instead. This meant that the mixture needed to be more moisture-resistant, something Horsford achieved with the addition of cornstarch in 1869.
The formulation changed very little after those early days. Cooks using baking powder today use a product that their forebears would recognise.
Dinnie Jordan, founder of Kudos Blends, saw that there was a need for more technically advanced baking powders. The Kudos Blends’ range of PELL™ baking powders offers that technical advancement. Since its foundation in 1999, the company has developed baking powders further than at any time in the previous 120 years.
In the USA, Eben Norton Horsford developed and patented a variety called Rumford Baking Powder in 1865. This was originally sold in bottles, but Horsford wanted to use metal cans instead. This meant that the mixture needed to be more moisture-resistant, something Horsford achieved with the addition of cornstarch in 1869.
The formulation changed very little after those early days. Cooks using baking powder today use a product that their forebears would recognise.
Dinnie Jordan, founder of Kudos Blends, saw that there was a need for more technically advanced baking powders. The Kudos Blends’ range of PELL™ baking powders offers that technical advancement. Since its foundation in 1999, the company has developed baking powders further than at any time in the previous 120 years.
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