What to use instead of buttermilk
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
Advertisement
Acid that sets off baking soda
Baking soda needs an acid to release its gas. Buttermilk's lactic acid is what makes soda bread, pancakes and biscuits rise at all.
Whole milk + lemon juiceRan out
1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice, stand 10 min
Thinner, so batter spreads more in the pan. Same lift, none of the body.
Whole milk + distilled white vinegarRan out
1 cup milk + 1 tbsp vinegar, stand 10 min
Same as lemon and it curdles faster. A faint sharpness shows up in anything plain like a scone.
Plain yogurt thinned with waterRan out
3/4 cup plain yogurt + 1/4 cup water, whisked smooth
Tangier and thicker. The crumb comes out denser and more tender, and it browns a shade darker.
Unsweetened soy milk + lemon juiceDairy-free
1 cup soy milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice, stand 10 min
Soy has enough protein to actually curdle and thicken. Oat and almond stay watery, so the batter runs.
What doesn't work: Plain milk with nothing added. Baking soda has nothing to react with, so soda bread comes out flat and dense and carries a soapy taste from the unreacted soda.
Tenderising soak for fried chicken or fish
The acid loosens surface protein so the meat stays soft, and the liquid is thick enough to cling, which is what makes the dredge stick in craggy layers.
Whole-milk yogurt, loosenedRan out
1 cup yogurt + 2 tbsp water per 1 cup buttermilk
Clings heavier, so the crust comes out thicker and darker. Shake more off before dredging or it clumps.
KefirRan out
1:1
Thinner and more sour. Soaks in faster, so 2 hours is plenty where buttermilk wants 4.
Dill pickle brineDairy-free
1:1, and cut the salt in the dredge by half
Much saltier and the tang reads dill instead of dairy. No milk sugars, so the crust browns less.
Milk + lemon juiceRan out
1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice, stand 10 min
Tenderises fine but runs off the chicken. Press the dredge on firmly and rest the pieces 10 min before frying.
What doesn't work: Lemon juice and water with no dairy in it. There is no body to hold flour, so the dredge slides off in the oil, and a long soak in straight acid turns the surface of the chicken chalky.
Thin tangy liquid in a dressing or dip
It loosens a mayo or sour cream base to pourable without adding fat, and the acid keeps the whole thing from tasting greasy.
Milk + lemon juiceRan out
1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice, stand 10 min
Thins the same. Slightly flatter, so add another squeeze of lemon at the end.
KefirRan out
1:1
More sour and slightly fizzy on the tongue. Ranch made with it tastes sharper.
Sour cream thinned with waterRan out
2 tbsp sour cream + 2 tbsp water per 1/4 cup buttermilk
Richer and it holds on the leaves instead of pooling in the bowl.
What doesn't work: Plain milk to thin a ranch. Without acid the dressing separates in the fridge within a day and tastes like seasoned cream.
Cultured buttermilk from a carton is not the liquid left from churning butter, which is thinner and sweeter and behaves like skim milk in a recipe.