While traditionally we churn cream for the butter, it turns out that buttermilk is actual the real gem of cream churning - buttermilk adds a unique tasty tang & tenderness to baked products not otherwise possible. Buttermilk WILL take your baking from good to great.

Index :

• Understanding buttermilk
• Buttermilk blueberry cake
• Buttermilk scones
• Buttermilk pancakes

Understanding buttermilk

Buttermilk is a leftover product from butter production. Then churning cream from milk, the cream will first develop into the wellknown whipped cream and then with further churning split apart into butter & buttermilk.

In the picture after whipping the cream, the fat butter is mostly trapped in the whisk, while the liquid buttermilk is left at the bottom of the bowl.

Buttermilk is low in fat, contains most of the protein originally in the milk and ferments naturally into a thick & tangy cream AND because if it's acidity (quelling bacterial growth) easily stores in the fridge for at least a week.

It seems that these days then you buy buttermilk in the supermarked that it is a cultured version created by lactococcus lactis inoculated milk simulating the naturally created buttermilk. The version should be thicker and taste more tart, however it is VERY easy to make it yourself AND at the same time you will get the best butter.

Better control of baking soda

Baking soda lift dough or batter the same way as yeast by producing carbon dioxide, however to start productin carbon dioxide baking soda must react with an acidic ingredient. If there are not enough acids in the batter, the final result will taste bitter or soapy. Buttermilk is acidic and by replacing half the milk in a recipe, it is guaranteed that there are enough acid to both create the lift and to avoid bad taste of non-reacted baking soda.

Note that baking powder already contains enough acids and buttermilk will therefore have none of these effects.

Less browning

Baked goods browns more readily in alkaline environments and since buttermilk is acidic, it helps avoiding browning. This effect is especially helpful in sugary cookies that often browns too fast.

Buttermilk Blueberry Cake

I like my buttermilk blueberry cake better then it is on the heavy side, however if you like your cakes with a more light and airy consistency, you can double the amount of baking powder from 1 to 2 teaspoons.

Ingredients :

• Blueberries : 1 + 1/2 cup. I use frozen tempered to room.
• Flour : 1/4 cup for drying the blueberries.
• Sugar : 1 cup.
• Butter : 1/2 cup unsalted room tempered (perfect use of the butter from the buttermilk production).
• Lemon zest : 1 tablespoon.
• Egg : 1 egg room tempered.
• Vanilla : 1 teaspoon.
• Flour : 1 + 3/4 cup all-purpose.
• Baking powder : 1 teaspoon.
• Salt : 1 teaspoon.
• Buttermilk : 1/2 cup.

Directions :

1. Pre-heat oven to 170C (340F)
2. Place the 1 & 1/2 cup of blueberries a seperate bowl and toss in the 1/4 cup of all purpose flour and lightly flick the bowl until most blueberries have a layer of flour.
3. In a second bowl using a mixer (stand or handheld) whip the 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of butter and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest until fluffy.
4. Add the 1 egg and the 1 teaspoon of vanilla and mix until combined.
5. In a third bowl mix together the 1 + 3/4 cup of all-pupose flour, the 1 teaspoon of baking powder and the 1 teaspoon of salt.
6. Add half the flour mix (bowl 3) to the butter batter (bowl 2) and stir with a spatula until combined.
7. Add the 1/2 cup of buttermilk and stir until fully combined.
8. Add the last half of the flour mix and stir until absorbed.
9. Incorporate the blueberries carefully with a spatula (excess flour from the blueberry bowl is discarded)
10. Line an 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper and pour in the batter.
11. Set in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes.
12. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.
13. Keep in plastic back in fridge for half a week.

Buttermilk Scones

Blueberry scones : 

The raw scone dough can be frozen and then thawed in the fridge the night before baking.

Ingredients :

• Flour : 2.5 cup all-purpose.
• Baking powser : 1.5 teaspoon.
• Baking soda : 0.5 teaspoon.
• Sugar : 1/4 cup.
• Salt : 1 teaspoon.
• Lemon zest : 1/2 tablespoon.
• Butter : 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter cold straight from the fridge.
• Buttermilk : 3/4 cup.
• Blueberries : 1 cup.

Directions : 

https://www.bakefromscratch.com/cherry-walnut-sourdough-scones/

Charlie Sims from Sourdough Facebook group.

Frozen butter hand grated on a box grater. Do not overwork the dough. Dry ingredients first, then add the shredded frozen butter. Fluff it as round so the butter is not clumped and is well coated. Tyen add the sourdough in and get it together as a loose dough with as little stirring or pulling as possible.

Spread it out to about 1/2" and fold. Roll it to about 5/8", fold. Roll it to 5/8", fold. Roll it to 3/4, fold. Roll it to 3/4"

Use a bery sharp or thin biscuit cutter so it cuts and doesnt press the dough (this is key to having layers split in the oven). The first ones are always going to be the best ones. As you scrape the dough back together to get more, dont work it too hard. Just squish it and pat it. And cut some more. By the thord round just form that one into a glob of biscuit and be done.
Put them on your sheet. I use an air bake pan with parchment for best results.

Press a divot into the top. Thus is also key for the separation on the sides. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes.

If you are doing a sweeter biscuit for jam or honey, brush with buttermilk or half n half and sprinkle turbinado sugar on it.

Buttermilk Pannacotta

https://alexandracooks.com/2016/06/03/buttermilk-panna-cotta-rhubarb-compote/

Buttermilk Pancakes

Pancakes with baking powder will make the pancakes more delicius and taller

https://alexandracooks.com/2015/08/18/one-bowl-buttermilk-pancakes-baking-steel-griddle-giveaway/

Ranch dressing:  Whisk 1 cup buttermilk with 2/3cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 tsp. minced garlic, and 1 Tbs. each of minced fresh dill, minced fresh parsley, and grated onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper.