When can milk substitute for buttermilk in sourdough recipes?
I want to prepare buttermilk sourdough pancakes:
- One part sourdough starter
- Two parts flour
- Two parts buttermilk
- Sugar to taste (about a quarter part, depending on mood)
The idea is to leave it overnight and let the sourdough SCOBY incorporate the buttermilk culture. In the morning, the sponge can be used for pancakes, waffles, etc. At a chemical level, the yeast eat the flour and make sugars and carbon dioxide bubbles, the lactic acid bacteria eat lactose and other sugars and make lactic acid, the overall pH drops from a milky 8 to a sour 4, and the buttermilk effectively spoils but in a very controlled fashion.
I'm currently snowed in due to a blizzard. I don't have any buttermilk, but I do have some milk. From a chemist's perspective, surely the desired reaction will proceed eventually, and the only changes will be how long it takes for the culture to rise and sweeten, and the overall proportions of lactic acid bacteria. However, from a cooking perspective, those two things matter quite a bit. What are the consequences of substituting milk for buttermilk in sourdough recipes?
As a practical matter, I do have some lemon juice and can sour milk into buttermilk using that common combination. I'm mostly curious about whether there's a flavor or safety reason for preferring prepared buttermilk.
Best Answer
I think your understanding here is incorrect.
The idea is to leave it overnight and let the sourdough SCOBY incorporate the buttermilk culture.
With a mature, functioning starter, there won't be much of any "incorporation" overnight, in the sense of actually reaching a new equilibrium of species in the starter. I don't think the buttermilk is being added to change your starter, it is just there because it is a common ingredient for pancakes and the like.
So, just go ahead and do whatever substitution you like that would be appropriate for the same batter without sourdough. You can expect analogous results, maybe even closer to the original, since you already have some lactic acid production from the sourdough.
curious about whether there's a flavor or safety reason for preferring prepared buttermilk
Flavor yes, buttermilk tastes differently from buttermilk substitutes. Safety no, adding buttermilk to a batter doesn't make it shelf stable.
Pictures about "When can milk substitute for buttermilk in sourdough recipes?"
What happens if I use milk instead of buttermilk?
Store bought buttermilk is a slightly sour milk that comes from a combination of milk and lactic acid. It is thicker than plain milk, with a subtle tang. In recipes that call for buttermilk, it is not recommended to replace buttermilk with plain milk, because the absence of acid will not produce the same end result.Can I use milk instead of buttermilk for a recipe?
You can use any kind of milk, but if your recipe calls for a certain type of buttermilk \u2014 such as low fat \u2014 it may be best to use a similar type of milk to make a substitute. To make 1 cup (240 mL) of buttermilk substitute, add 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of vinegar to a liquid measuring cup.What does buttermilk do to sourdough bread?
I love baking and cooking with buttermilk. Adding buttermilk to your sourdough bread can be just what you're looking for if you want to turn your regular sourdough into a delicious sandwich bread or rolls. The buttermilk brings another layer of acidity to the bread which rounds out the mouthfeel a bit.Can I add milk to sourdough bread?
Milk is not necessary to make delicious sourdough bread. But like most things, it can be added to sourdough to change the crumb, crust and flavor. Milk is mostly used in sandwich loaves and loaves that require a softer crumb.🔵 Truth About Buttermilk - What Is It? How To Substitute?
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Peggy Anke, Jill Wellington, Plato Terentev, Nicole Michalou