In her book, Baking Powder Wars, Linda Civitello poses the question, “what is food?” On the surface, it appears a fairly simple question. Food is of course something that nourishes us, right? Body, mind, and spirit. Or is it merely something we ingest?
If it is indeed something that nourishes us then what is a product that contains additives with no nutritive value that provide nothing more than a chemical reaction?
Baking powder is a perfect catalyst to explore this question and an example of our divergence from whole foods to a reliance on factory foods. It also revolutionized baking.
A Brief History of Baking Powder
Humans have been baking bread for more than 3 millennia. And in that time the methods used have changed very little. That is until bakers started to add sodium bicarbonate along with sour milk to their bread dough. The resulting reaction created a lighter bread, though, the results were unpredictable. Because of the variation in the amount of acid in the sour milk, bakers weren’t able to maintain any type of consistency.
It wouldn’t be until 1840 when the combination of sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar - a by-product of the wine making industry - would help to regulate the results in the baking process.
In the presence of any liquid, the combination of sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar would react to create carbon dioxide. These carbon dioxide bubbles are trapped within gluten structures creating the lift in baked goods. The two compounds were generally sold in separate envelopes and mixed together by the baker who was able to control when the reaction took place. When it was discovered that cornstarch acted as a buffer between the two, a new much more stable product was born, eliminating the need to separate the compounds. Baking Powder.
By packaging this new invention in tin containers, companies could sell the product without concern of it accidentally being activated. These tins also provided the perfect real estate to promote the advantages of one company’s product over the other.
What’s In Baking Powder
Baking powder is a combination of a base (a substance that reacts with an acid to form a salt), an acid (a substance that reacts with a base to form salts, and promotes chemical reactions), and a buffer or starch component (which absorbs moisture and helps to prolong baking powder's potency).
Common bases used in baking powder are sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, and potassium bicarbonate.
The acids most frequently use are potassium acid tartare (cream of tartar), monocalcium phosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium aluminum sulfate, among others.
The starches can be corn starch, potato starch, or wheat flour.
Thoughts on Bread Making
As I mentioned before, humans have been sustained by bread for more than 3 millennia. Bread making was an important part of any homemaker’s day. Unlike today where we rely on the convenience of prepackaged yeast and flours, it often fell upon the homemaker to grind the grains for the flour and maintain a slurry often made from the lees left behind in the brewing and wine making process. This slurry was hard to maintain and would often go bad.
In short the bread making process of the past was much more laborious and time consuming than what we experience as bread making today.
With the discovery of baking powder, bread making was changed forever. With this new leavener, the homemaker didn’t need to set aside an entire day to make bread. Baking powder cannot replace yeast. And quick breads are much different than their yeasted cousins, but having the ability to bake a bread in a quarter of the time was a luxury for the homemaker.
A Fishy Pie Brought to you by Royal Baking Powder Company
When first introduced to the market, the Royal Baking Powder Company was one of four companies that were vying for market share employing several tactics to win homemakers over.
One very visual tactic was in their marketing. Most of Royal’s marketing pieces contained a cluster of grapes and the statement that they were “the only nationally distributed brand with Cream of Tartar derived from luscious grapes.”
This was an important point of differentiation especially when it came to the health and well-being of a women’s family. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries there was considerable concern about the quality of food. There was suspicion toward foods that were being manufactured in factories. Chemistry was associated with alchemy and the dark arts. And foods, especially breads had religious connotations. So by affirming the purity and wholesomeness of their product, Royal Baking Powder Company was able to assure the homemaker that her purchase was not only wise, but beneficial to the well-being of her family.
The second tactic was to develop recipes using and specifically listing their product in the the ingredient list. This was not exclusive to Royal, but I find this specific recipe quite clever in its approach.
It’s important to understand that when this recipe was developed there was still a stigma around tuna. Canned sardines were very popular throughout the 1800’s. But as the early 1900’s approached, sardines had been over-fished and fishermen needed to find another source. They turned to tuna. However, at this time, tuna was considered a trash fish.
In order to work around this, Royal Baking Powder Company compared the canned tuna in the recipe to chicken. Because the tuna was steamed prior to canning, turning it white, the comparison to chicken wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. It was also about the 1/3 the cost of the chicken. The US was at the end of the depression, so price was a vital consideration for all homemakers.
Additionally, canned tuna was something fairly new product available to homemakers. By showing them how to use it, Royal provided an educational component in their marketing pieces, and in so doing a reliable resource. Which created a loyal consumer.
Using phrases like novel thrill, elegant air, and delicately flavored in the description of the recipe, Royal, elevates this fairly simple dish to an exceptional meal. One, that of course, can and should be served during Lent at one-third the cost of a chicken pie.
It truly is a brilliant campaign by Royal Baking Powder Company. And the recipe itself is actually quite tasty. Here’s what my taste testers had to say.
Thoughts from Ellie
Thoughts from Jimmy & Rachel
Having a little better understanding of the chemical makeup and reaction of baking powder, and learning a little about the impact of this chemical compound used in food preparation, what are your thoughts on what food is?
Tuna Fish Pie with Cheese Roll Crust
Serves: 8 Prep Time: Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
Filling
3 tablespoons butter
2 slices onion
1/2 cup sliced green pepper
6 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
1 large can tuna, drained
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cheese Rolls
1 1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
few grains cayenne
3 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup milk, or half milk & water
3/4 cup grated cheese
2 pimentos, chopped
Instructions
Filling
Preheat oven to 450˚F.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter
Add green peppers and onion, cooking until soft.
Add the flour and salt, stirring until well blended.
Add the milk slowly, stirring constantly until the mixture is thick and smooth.
Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the tuna and lemon juice stirring to incorporate.
Pour the mixture into an 8 x 8-inch baking dish and arrange the cheese rolls over.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until rolls are lightly browned and filling is bubbly.
Cheese Rolls
In a medium-sized bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne together.
Cut the shortening into the flour mixture with a fork.
Add the milk or milk-water mixtures and stir to create a soft dough. Don’t overwork the dough.
Toss lightly on a floured work surface and roll out into a rectangle 8 x 12-inches.
Sprinkle the cheese and pimento over the dough, leaving 1/4” along one of the short ends.
Start rolling the from the short side closest to you pinching the seam closed.
Using a sharp knife, dental floss, or strong thread, cut the roll into 8 slices.
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