So why does this trick work? Because the combination of the regular milk and the lemon juice serves the same purpose in a recipe that buttermilk does, i.e. to add a little bit of acidity to the mixture of ingredients. When that acidity combines with things like baking soda or baking powder, the reaction creates the lightness we’re all looking for in things like biscuits, while counteracting the more sour taste of the buttermilk.
Whether we’re talking pancakes or quick breads, the role of buttermilk in almost any baking recipe is to add tenderness and lighten the batter. Once the acids in the buttermilk get in contact with the baking soda or baking powder in the batter, a giant fizz-fest takes place. The reaction with the baking soda (or powder) cancels out the sourness of the buttermilk, leaving our baked goods airy, tender, and tasty beyond reckoning.
Buttermilk comes from its acidity naturally, thanks to lactic-acid-producing bacteria. (Commercially-produced buttermilk that you get at the store adds this bacteria to pasteurized and homogenized milk. Traditionally, before pasteurization, the bacteria was produced as milk fermented after being churned for butter.) In the absence of buttermilk, you just add an acidic ingredient, the lemon juice, to some dairy, and voila! You’ve got a mixture that’ll serve the same purpose.
Live in the United States and/or don’t use milliliters to measure your liquid ingredients? No worries; we’ve got you covered! For the milk, 250 milliliters is roughly equivalent to 1 cup plus 2 teaspoons; for the lemon juice, 15 milliliters is equivalent to 1 tablespoon. So if you need to make this hack in greater quantities in the future, just remember that the ratio is roughly 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a little over a cup of milk!
Now you tell us— have any of you used this buttermilk substitution hack before? Do you know of any other good swaps for buttermilk in your favorite recipes? What are some of your best dishes to make with that great buttermilk flavor? And if you try this hack for the first time soon, come back and let us know how it turned out for you!
SOURCE: TIPHERODOTCOM
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