History:
Baking powder was used over a thousand years ago, Ancient Egyptians used a sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride solution to mummify dead bodies (Sodium Bicarbonate, 2006).
Baking powder was developed with the discovery of carbonate materials. Potash is a carbonate material and it was extracted from wood ashes. In 1783, there was a contest for who could make a process for converting salt to soda ash. Nicolas LeBlanc won the contest in 1791. In his invention salt reacted with sulphuric acid, coal, and limestone to make soda ash.
The soda ash was the same as potash and it was used to make products rise (Romanowski, 2006). "Baking soda was soon after extracted from soda ash and used to sooth stomach acids." ("Romanowski," 2006, para.6). By the 1830s American bakeries found out the leavening properties of baking soda. Baking soda was more sweeter than soda ash and it released gas quicker than soda ash. In 1788, potassium bicarbonate was developed by Natha Read; he made potassium carbonate convert into potassium bicarbonate. In 1834, Dr. Austin Church found a different way to make baking soda from soda ash (Romanowski, 2006).
The first modern baking powder was discovered by Alfred Bird in 1843. He created an improved version of baking powder because his wife Elizabeth was allergic to eggs and yeast and he wanted to make yeast-free bread for her.
In 1846, a German chemist named Justus Von Liebig (Stradley(a), n.d). "explored the relationships of organic chemistry to agriculture and plant physiology." ("Stradley(a)," n.d., para. 4)He used sodium bicarbonate and hydrochloric acid to try to raise bread rather than using yeast (Stradley(a), n.d).
In 1846 Austin Church and John Dwight created a company to sell baking powder. They made it by hand and packed them in paper bags to sell it to their neighbours. Their baking powder business grew and it became the largest baking powder industry used for households. This industry still sells baking powder but by the name of Arm and Hammer baking powder (Sodium Bicarbonate, 2006).
In 1855, a student named Eben Norton Horsford and George F. Wilson began the manufacture of chemicals. Their company was named George F. Wilson and Company in Providence, RI (Stradley(a), n.d). "Two years later, their business became known as the Rumford Chemical Works, which soon became one of the the largest and most successful chemical plants in the country. Horsford formulated and patented Rumford Baking Powder, the first calcium phosphate baking powder."("Stradley(a)", n.d, para.5).
In the 1860s, a lot of companies added other ingredients in their baking powders. There have been many carbonate and acid mixtures made to sell as baking powders (Romanowski, 2006).
Later on in 1866, Cornelius and Joseph Hoagland developed a baking powder company which was called Royal Baking Powder Company.
In 1889, William M. Wright and a chemist named George Campbell Rew developed a double-acting baking powder. They marketed the baking powder by the name Calumet Baking Powder (Stradley(a), n.d).
Baking powder was developed with the discovery of carbonate materials. Potash is a carbonate material and it was extracted from wood ashes. In 1783, there was a contest for who could make a process for converting salt to soda ash. Nicolas LeBlanc won the contest in 1791. In his invention salt reacted with sulphuric acid, coal, and limestone to make soda ash.
The soda ash was the same as potash and it was used to make products rise (Romanowski, 2006). "Baking soda was soon after extracted from soda ash and used to sooth stomach acids." ("Romanowski," 2006, para.6). By the 1830s American bakeries found out the leavening properties of baking soda. Baking soda was more sweeter than soda ash and it released gas quicker than soda ash. In 1788, potassium bicarbonate was developed by Natha Read; he made potassium carbonate convert into potassium bicarbonate. In 1834, Dr. Austin Church found a different way to make baking soda from soda ash (Romanowski, 2006).
The first modern baking powder was discovered by Alfred Bird in 1843. He created an improved version of baking powder because his wife Elizabeth was allergic to eggs and yeast and he wanted to make yeast-free bread for her.
In 1846, a German chemist named Justus Von Liebig (Stradley(a), n.d). "explored the relationships of organic chemistry to agriculture and plant physiology." ("Stradley(a)," n.d., para. 4)He used sodium bicarbonate and hydrochloric acid to try to raise bread rather than using yeast (Stradley(a), n.d).
In 1846 Austin Church and John Dwight created a company to sell baking powder. They made it by hand and packed them in paper bags to sell it to their neighbours. Their baking powder business grew and it became the largest baking powder industry used for households. This industry still sells baking powder but by the name of Arm and Hammer baking powder (Sodium Bicarbonate, 2006).
In 1855, a student named Eben Norton Horsford and George F. Wilson began the manufacture of chemicals. Their company was named George F. Wilson and Company in Providence, RI (Stradley(a), n.d). "Two years later, their business became known as the Rumford Chemical Works, which soon became one of the the largest and most successful chemical plants in the country. Horsford formulated and patented Rumford Baking Powder, the first calcium phosphate baking powder."("Stradley(a)", n.d, para.5).
In the 1860s, a lot of companies added other ingredients in their baking powders. There have been many carbonate and acid mixtures made to sell as baking powders (Romanowski, 2006).
Later on in 1866, Cornelius and Joseph Hoagland developed a baking powder company which was called Royal Baking Powder Company.
In 1889, William M. Wright and a chemist named George Campbell Rew developed a double-acting baking powder. They marketed the baking powder by the name Calumet Baking Powder (Stradley(a), n.d).