We clean the counters, gather the ingredients, and plunge into a recipe only to discover that we’re missing one ingredient –- buttermilk. There are plenty of substitutions suggested to cooks, but do they really fit the bill, or is there actually no alternative to buttermilk?
In colonial times buttermilk was part of a traditional breakfast for Dutch settlers, and in rural areas across America, buttermilk was drunk just like a glass of milk. Once boiled, drinking buttermilk was an economical way to consume a leftover liquid from cheese and butter making, yet in today’s daily American home, this byproduct became a bygone item of the past.
We see all of these substitution tricks to bypass buttermilk, but as you look at these alternatives, know there are drawbacks to each one.
Lemon juice with milk is the fastest go-to substitution, but it probably is the worst option. This duo of liquids makes for a thinner batter and when baked, produces desserts with a flattened appearance and a dense texture. Yogurt and sour cream are good buttermilk understudies, however, both dairy products have higher sugar contents which make baked goods with gummy interiors and darker exteriors. The closest buttermilk substitution is Kefir which has a similar pH and thickness. Even though it is an A+ swap, Kefir is not readily available in all American grocery stores, so it would be a hard thing to recommend. Finally, powdered buttermilk, which has a longer shelf life and is easily reconstituted just with water may sound like a win-win, but the substitute still doesn’t give baked goods that desired height and the crumb of baked goods isn’t as fine and delicate.
So the verdict? Buy some buttermilk. Buttermilk has enough liquid to denature gluten but has just enough to moisten the batter. Additionally, if you use one of these alternatives you’ll be ignoring one critical factor: consistency. Buttermilk has a distinct thickness that is neither cream nor milk, so when it is replaced, it alters the thinness or thickness of your recipe. Most of these substitutions give you a runny batter and lead to baked goods with a squashed appearance.
A final major factor you need to take into account is taste. Nowadays people don’t drink buttermilk as is, but if you did, you’d notice that it has a tangy bite but the sourness doesn’t linger. That tang is simply present without being overpowering. This buttermilk flavor counters any sugar in the batter, so if you use the alternatives you’ll have a baked good that is either too sweet or just downright plain. When you buy a quart of buttermilk and aren’t going to use it anytime soon, you can easily freeze it. Just portion the buttermilk into ice cube trays or put it in a large plastic zip-top bag and lay the bag on a sheet pan; once the buttermilk is completely frozen, remove the sheet pan.