Uses for Powdered Buttermilk

[Chris Amirault]

Thanks to the Modernist Cuisine fried chicken recipe, I'm now in possession of a rather remarkable ingredient: buttermilk powder. Sure, you can use it in your homemade pancake mix, but it adds an excellent tang to spice rubs and other savory coatings. I dusted some onto smoked ribs the other day to great effect. It got me wondering about what other uses there were for the stuff!

[Darienne]

Yes. Indeed. I have a bag of powdered buttermilk, purchased to make something or other which never got made and now I have really no idea of what to do with it. And so it sits.

[Jeffery C]

I'm now in possession of a rather remarkable ingredient: buttermilk powder.

did you source it at a local grocery store?

[Genkinaonna]

I keep it on hand for cake baking, lots of cake recipes call for buttermilk as do many muffins recipes. The proportions are usually on the bag, you just add the powder with the dry ingredients and sub water for the buttermilk in the recipe.

[runwestierun]

Thanks to the Modernist Cuisine fried chicken recipe, I'm now in possession of a rather remarkable ingredient: buttermilk powder. Sure, you can use it in your homemade pancake mix, but it adds an excellent tang to spice rubs and other savory coatings. I dusted some onto smoked ribs the other day to great effect. It got me wondering about what other uses there were for the stuff!

I use the Bob's Red Mill brand. I have only used it as a substitute for wet buttermilk in mostly baking recipes, and it does work perfectly for that. I've never thought of using it dry, thanks for the heads up. How much did you use on the ribs?

Your post gives me an idea: I think I will add some to the flour I shake fried chicken in. I soak the chicken in buttermilk before but the added tang sounds like a really good idea. If that works I'll try it on chicken fried steak.

edit: Oh, and maybe in tempura batter!

Edited March 19, 2011 by runwestierun (log)

[azlee]

It's very nice in homemade pizza dough

[andiesenji]

Chris, Saco Foods used to have a little free booklet that you could send for with the many uses of the dry buttermilk blend. The top of the can, under the plastic cover had a little fold-out paper with a coupon and a label to send for the booklet.

Now all of those recipes, plus many more - more than 350 - are on their website.

I have pulled up "Chicken" under the Main Courses category.

Just select whatever category you want and scan through the recipes listed.

From experience I can assure you that the recipe for Easy-Bake Chicken is excellent.

[lstrelau]

Does anyone know where (preferably in Canada) to buy powdered buttermilk? We used to be able to find it at the grocery store and used it frequently but last few years it has disappeared.

We used it in biscuits/scones, pancakes and other baking. Didn't think about more contemporary uses in savoury cooking but it makes sense.

[merstar]

You can use it in salad dressings.

[BarbaraY]

I have mainly used it in homemade pancake mix for camping. If Using in biscuits, blend it with water before adding. If added to the dry ingredients it seems to leave brownish spots that I don't care for.

In our markets it comes and goes. It will be there for a year or two and then disappear for a while. They are carrying it right now.

[Anna N]

Does anyone know where (preferably in Canada) to buy powdered buttermilk? We used to be able to find it at the grocery store and used it frequently but last few years it has disappeared.

We used it in biscuits/scones, pancakes and other baking. Didn't think about more contemporary uses in savoury cooking but it makes sense.

Not sure where in Canada you are but in Southern Ontario it is available at Bulk Barn.

[lstrelau]

Thanks Anna,

A Bulk Bark apparently just opened in Calgary (there are some in Edmonton already)

Will check it out.

[azlee]

organic valley also has a dried cultured buttermilk product and recipes on its website

[tsquare]

I used to keep it on hand to make buttermilk bread - the recipe in "Baking with Julia" - for a bread machine. Machine is gone, and now I no-knead, so haven't tried to recreate that bread.

[ScoopKW]

I just use it in pancakes -- with decades-old sourdough starter that has been going strong since the Nixon administration.

[Chris Amirault]

did you source it at a local grocery store?

Yep: four little packets of Saco per box at the local megagrocer.

[andiesenji]

Don't be afraid to buy the larger cans. The stuff is shelf-stable for years!

They say so on their website and in my experience this is certainly true.

[Chris Amirault]

Yeah, those little packets are crazy expensive compared to the bulk.

[janeer]

You can use it in salad dressings.

I've used it for years, since it first showed up in the markets (10 yrs ago maybe?) in yeast breads, salad dressings, marinades, popcorn, primarily. I keep a can or two in the pantry--it lasts forever.

[Jeffery C]

Got a recipe from Cook's Illustrated that substitutes this and seltzer water to eliminate the eggs in a buttermilk waffle recipe. Will try it over the weekend.

[Moopheus]

I have to admit I have had unsatisfactory results making pancakes with buttermilk powder. The batter invariably comes out much thinner than with whole buttermilk.