A Little Bit of Green

I have lost count of the number of times I’ve needed a good buttermilk substitute. In fact the one thing I can guarantee is that if I want to make a recipe that calls for buttermilk it will not be in my kitchen. I just don’t use it frequently enough. In the past I would buy it and it would sit unused until expiring and then I’d want buttermilk pancakes the very next day. Now I have yet to find a single brand that doesn’t have additives and fillers that would make my daughter sick and make me wonder what exactly I was buying.

I have tried four different buttermilk substitutes:

1. Plain Milk - There are two main problems with just using milk. The first is chemistry. Baking recipes are balanced so the acids and bases react in just the right way to create just the right lift and browning level. If you subtract out an acid like buttermilk your finished good may not rise or brown correctly. The second is flavor. Most buttermilk recipes are designed to have a rich tang to them. Regular milk doesn’t come close to adding that depth of flavor.
2. Milk plus Vinegar or Lemon Juice - Adding some acid to the milk corrects the chemistry problem. Now the recipe should behave chemically just the same. However I found it still failed the taste test. The recipes I found suggest letting the milk and acid sit for 5+ minutes to curdle and thicken but even then I found there was something missing from the taste. It just didn’t have the same depth as a real cultured buttermilk.
3. Yogurt- Adding yogurt instead of buttermilk worked wonders for the chemistry and the flavor. I found a good plain yogurt with no extra additives, just milk and cultures, had the same depth of flavor as the buttermilk and contributed lots of acid. However it did create a new problem. It was way, way, way too thick! If you can turn your bowl upside down and shake it and the batter stays put you have a problem. (Ok, I didn’t actually do that… but I’m pretty sure I could have!)
4. 50/50 Milk and Yogurt Blend - This buttermilk substitute is my winning combination. The yogurt half adds the acid and the depth of flavor. The milk half adds enough liquid to create the same consistency. Depending on the brand of yogurt you use you may have to adjust the proportions slightly. I use Nancy’s Plain Organic which is very thick.

I’ve tested the Milk/ Yogurt Blend with both pancakes and drop biscuits and had great results. The only problem I see with this combination is if you have the same issues with yogurt as I do with buttermilk. It’s never arround when you need it. In that case I suggest the following substitutions to keep plain yogurt a constant feature in your kitchen:

• Plain yogurt instead of sour cream. Tastes great… a lot less fat and fillers! I make a killer ranch dip / dressing with this substitution.
• Plain yogurt instead of sweetened yogurt. Just add one or more of the following to taste: apple sauce, pear sauce, jam, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, dried fruit, etc. It’s a staple of fast breakfasts in our house.
• Plain yogurt instead of milk with cereal. I HATE soggy cereal and made this switch a long time ago. It works great with granola and an excessive amount of honey.

Come back later this week for my Whole Wheat Yogurt Pancake recipe. Have you tried any of these buttermilk substitutes or have one of your own? Do you use yogurt as a staple in your cooking? Leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Filed under: Food by Rose |