March 4, 2019 - 1:30am
why use buttermilk in rye sourdough
i thought one of the reasons that sourdough was used in high percentage rye breads was that the LAB keeps the amylase in the flour from destroying the fragile structure of the bread so why is buttermilk included in some recipes - is it just for taste or is it too be sure to be sure as we say in ireland?
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To be sure for sure. Hmmmm. Or maybe just a habit.
If the water has a high pH and low in calcium, adding buttermilk could certainly solve some problems associated with it. It may help deter some types of bacteria inherent in the flour as well. So recipes using both may have more to do with location and water source. I'm speculating. :)
After reading more I think it’s a cultural reason - buttermilk was always the leftover after churning cream so anywhere that had lots of cows made use of it - here in Ireland many rural people would have been brought up on real buttermilk as opposed to cultured buttermilk you buy now - in the same way people drank beer and wine instead of water as it was dangerous to drink...
is like skim milk, pretty thin stuff. I know I would use it if it was around. Grandma used to use soured milk as well for bread. That is if we didn't get to it first. There was a just perfect stage when the heavy milk was irresistible! Maybe it was soured cream, I was so little then... anyway. Bet thin buttermilk has a higher pH. Then it wouldn't be contributing to lower pH as much as cultured buttermilk would. Chart
So do you think the addition of buttermilk and beer is based in cultural necessity? I guess what I’m trying to get to is that here we use buttermilk in soda bread and scones etc but using yoghurt is cheaper and performs the same job. So am I better off replacing buttermilk with yoghurt as it’s always in the fridge
Unless you notice a flavour preference, go economical.
The ultimate answer:
Test it. If you're feeling extra-serious, do a side by side test. If in a more light-hearted mood, just make a batch using yogurt, and if you declare it good enough, then it's settled. ?
Yoghurt it is?