Buttermilk powder is a great ingredient for softening and adding flavor to bread. It also has a much longer shelf life than fresh liquid buttermilk. I often like to replace the milk used in my bread recipes with buttermilk. This can turn a good Bread Dad recipe into an even better Bread Dad recipe!
Container of Buttermilk Powder
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. At no extra cost to you, Bread Dad makes a small commission if you buy products via the links below.
Popular Buttermilk Powders
- Anthony’s Buttermilk Powder
- Bob’s Red Mill Buttermilk Powder
- Hoosier Hill Farm Buttermilk Powder
- Medley Hills Farm Buttermilk Powder
- Other Buttermilk Powder Providers
Advantages of Buttermilk Powder
- Longer Shelf Life – Buttermilk powder has a much longer shelf life than fresh liquid buttermilk. Months versus 1-2 weeks. Buttermilk powder also does not need refrigeration.
- Convenience – Buttermilk powder can sit available in your pantry for months. Thus there is no need to make a special trip to the supermarket in order to buy fresh buttermilk.
- Softens Bread – The slight acidity of buttermilk tenderizes the gluten in a bread loaf. This helps to create a much softer bread.
- Unique Flavor – Buttermilk adds flavor to bread (a little “tang”).
- Save Money – Buttermilk powder is cheaper than liquid buttermilk in a carton (on an ounce-to-ounce basis),
- Many Extra Uses – Beyond making buttermilk bread, you can use buttermilk powder to make buttermilk pancakes, biscuits, sauces, banana bread, cornbread, etc.
- Available Online – No need to drive around town searching for buttermilk. You can sit back and order buttermilk powder from many major online retailers. Added benefit – Have it delivered to your door!
Disadvantage
- Fresh buttermilk (e.g. liquid buttermilk in a carton) has more “tangy” buttermilk flavor versus buttermilk made from buttermilk powder (which tastes much milder).
FYI – Buttermilk powder is made from the solids left over after evaporating the water out of liquid buttermilk. Check the buttermilk powder’s container label for information on how to combine water with the buttermilk powder in order to make liquid buttermilk. It should give you the amounts of buttermilk powder & water needed to make 1 cup of liquid buttermilk.
Bread Tip – Be aware that buttermilk’s “softening effect” works best on bread made with bread flour. The softening impact is lower on flours with less gluten and/or heavier flours. For example, buttermilk has a much lower impact on whole wheat flour.
Related Bread Dad Recipes
- Bread Machine Buttermilk Bread
- Buttermilk Bread – Oven baked sandwich bread
- Buttermilk Banana Bread
Reference Sources
- Wikipedia, Bread
- Wikipedia, Buttermilk