Swap in plain yogurt for buttermilk in a pinch and it actually works

I forgot to buy buttermilk for my grandma's biscuit recipe last Sunday and tried swapping in plain yogurt with a splash of milk instead. The biscuits came out just as fluffy and tangy. Has anyone else tried this swap with sour cream or something else?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_kim27d ago

Yeah but sour cream is thicker than yogurt so you'd need to thin it out more. I've done it with sour cream plus a little milk to get the right consistency but the tang comes through fine. The real issue is if you use Greek yogurt it can be too thick and dry the biscuits out. Regular plain yogurt is closer to buttermilk's texture straight out of the container.

grace8927d ago

Honestly @the_kim I used to be one of those people who swore by thinning out sour cream with milk and calling it close enough. I always figured the tang was the only thing that mattered for flavor. But what you said about Greek yogurt drying biscuits out really got me thinking, I never even considered how the thickness would mess with the moisture. I've definitely had some sad, dense batches that I blamed on the recipe when it was probably my substitution all along. Your point about regular yogurt being more like buttermilk texture straight out of the container makes so much sense, that might be my new go-to for baking now.

casey_wood226d ago

Your point about regular yogurt being more like buttermilk texture" is spot on. I actually tried sour cream once and it was a disaster. The biscuits came out heavy and flat, not fluffy at all. I think the fat content is different too so it changes everything. Now I just keep a tub of plain yogurt in the fridge specifically for baking emergencies. Works every time and nobody can tell the difference.