The Forgotten Dry Ingredient Trick For Extra Fluffy Omelets

Omelet lovers on the hunt for the secret ingredient to make them light and fluffy will be happy to learn they don't have to look much further than their own pantry. There is one forgotten ingredient that chefs and home cooks have been adding to their omelets and scrambled eggs for decades, and that's baking soda. Despite both being leavening agents, baking soda and baking powder are different. However, baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, releases gas when it comes into contact with acid and warms up. This single ingredient will help you make a perfect omelet every time.

When you add baking soda to your whipped egg mixture before it hits the frying pan, it transforms your omelet into a fluffy, lighter-than-air bite. How it works: As small pockets of gas form, they cause the egg mixture to plump up like popcorn but without the noise. The result is an omelet that is voluminous and pillowy soft. However, be careful about being overzealous with this dry ingredient. Unlike when you add too much of this powdery substance to sweet pancakes, too much baking soda can actually cause a bitter aftertaste that renders your eggs inedible.   

How much do you need to measure out? You do not need a lot of baking soda to achieve the consistency for an omelet that your teeth want to sink into. A good rule of thumb is to stick to anywhere from one-eighth of a teaspoon to a half of a teaspoon for every three to four eggs. It may be a little trial and error before you find the ratio that works for your taste buds. You want to whisk it into your eggs and other ingredients. Once it looks well blended, it's ready to cook.

Remember that if you are adding any acidic ingredients like chopped tomatoes or a squeeze of lemon, this will accelerate the release of gas, so you want to add these types of ingredients right before you are ready to pour the mixture into your frying pan. If you don't have any baking soda in your cabinets, a little sparkling mineral water can have the same effect on your Denver omelet or your pimento cheese omelet, creating a light and frothy egg mixture that turns into the fluffiest of omelets.