The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

soaker: buttermilk/yogurt verses water??

crazyknitter's picture
crazyknitter

soaker: buttermilk/yogurt verses water??

I am wondering something.

I made Peter Reinharts' whole wheat bread with soaker and biga.  In the soaker, since I didn't have any buttermilk (and my buttermaker died on me - and I didn't have time to make butter by hand) I used some fresh (but older milk).

My bread turned out wonderful!  I was so pleased.

Well, now that I am back to square one with no butter milk, I am wondering how water will fare in a soaker in my bread?

Can anyone share some insight with me?

 

Becky

Edthebread's picture
Edthebread

I have made this recipe with water in place of milk or buttermilk, and have had very good results.  The texture and crust are softer if you use milk, and sometimes I substitute a mixture of yogurt and milk in place of buttermilk, and that turns out well.

AnnaInNC's picture
AnnaInNC

into milk to use as buttermilk. I also have dried whole and buttermilk in the pantry, these come in handy when all else fails.

 

Frequent Flyer's picture
Frequent Flyer

...use water instead of milk or buttermilk as my wife doesn't care for a soft bread with soft crust.  It works fine for us. 

TopBun's picture
TopBun

If I'm out of buttermilk I often use 1/4 cup of the King Arthur special dry milk for baking (heat-treated to disable the enzymes which inhibit rising a bit), plus water in the soaker. Although the texture isn't quite as tender as using buttermilk, it's very nice. 

crazyknitter's picture
crazyknitter

what is this "special dry milk" for baking?