January 29, 2010 - 9:21am
yogurt/buttermilk
I have made bran muffins with buttermilk, with nice results. Can I substitute yogurt for the buttermilk? The only leavener called for in the recipe is baking soda, and I am wondering if the yogurt would offer the same acidity, along with molasses, to activate the baking soda sufficiently? I understand the flavor would be affected somewhat. Thanks, Ray
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You may want to stir a spoonful or two of milk into it before mixing it into your muffins, so that it is sufficiently fluid. Otherwise your muffins may be a bit drier than usual. Flavor effect should be minimal, since most of today's "buttermilk" is actually cultured milk and a very close cousin to yogurt.
Paul
Thanks again. Do you think it is as acidic, or should I add some double acting baking powder. If so how much? The recipe calls for 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 cup whole wheat flour, and 1 1/2 cups bran, 1 egg, 2 tblspoons brown sugar, 2 tablspoons molasses, 1 & 1/2 cups buttermilk. The double acting will kick in with heat, and the baking soda is dependent on acidic components. Again, your tips are valued. Ray
1/2tsp to 1 tsp-about what you'd add for a loaf of banana bread since the flour/bran amounts seem to be about the same amount as a single loaf of sweet bread.
Thanks for the suggestion. They never really rose very high, a little gentle rounding was it, using very fresh baking soda. The buttermilk gave them a soft texture though. Since the weather had cleared up, we ventured forth to the supermart. I guess I will use yogurt at some point, but I have buttermilk now. Thanks, again to you both. Ray
but have a little left, say, 1/4 cup, you can make more by adding a litre of milk, shaking, and leaving it on the counter for 24 hrs.
You can freeze the extra. I pour a cup of buttermilk in small zip lock bags and toss them into the freezer. I freeze it so it's flat, this way if I need a half cup, for example, it's easy to just snap the cup sized frozen chunk in two. Now I have some when I need without having to go buy a whole litre of it every time.
Thanks celestica and rainbowz, great ideas. I think freezing in smaller ziplockbags, in 1/2 cup qtys. would be an easy way to keep track. Thanks rainbowz for that suggestion.
celistica, I didn't know you could propagate buttermilk, if you have done it, it must work. Ray