Clare on ingredient swaps
Swap buttermilk with what you have
Most buttermilk emergencies are solvable, but Clare still cares what the buttermilk was supposed to do in the recipe.
The real question is not whether you can fake buttermilk. It is whether the recipe needs tang, thickness, lift, or all three.
Match the substitute to the job
Milk plus acid works for many batters, especially when the goal is a little tang and a reaction with baking soda. Yogurt thinned with water is often better when the original recipe also wanted body.
Clare thinks the substitute should serve the texture first and the label second.
- Milk plus lemon or vinegar for quick baking
- Thinned yogurt for thicker batters and dressings
- Sour cream loosened with milk for richer mixtures
- Choose another recipe when the swap starts to become a science fair