Buttermilk dough is a very tasty alternative to whole wheat or cake wheat dough. The sour liquid produces a subtle tang in the dough along with a softer crumb in the bread that is produced. Ideally, buttermilk acts as a dough conditioner softening hard enzymes and making bread even softer.
How to Make Buttermilk Dough?
Buttermilk dough is made by combining lukewarm water, buttermilk, yeast, salt, sugar and all purpose flour. Traditionally, cooks recommend using baking soda with buttermilk to create a soft texture. Fruits like apples, cinnamon, figs, etc may be added to the bread to make richer softer bread
Popular Buttermilk Dough-Based Recipes
Cinnamon Raisin Bread is made by adding sugar, golden raisings, eggs, and cinnamon to basic buttermilk dough. Other varieties of spices, fruits and savory ingredients may be added to basic buttermilk dough to change the taste and texture of the dough.
Buttermilk pie crust dough is made by rubbing cold butter into flour so that it resembles breadcrumbs. Buttermilk, sugar, salt and vegetable shortening can be wiped into the flour to make rough pastry dough. The dough is allowed to chill overnight and then used as a base for savory or sweet fillings.
Buttermilk biscuits are made by combining all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter, buttermilk and light cream. This mixture is worked up on as little as possible and then wrapped up with cling film. Rounds are cut out and then baked till done.
Trivia
Buttermilk is acidic and when it is used in wheat dough, it increases the strength of the gluten strands that are formed in the dough. This means that the dough gets springier during kneading and softer after being baked. The buttermilk also liberates the enzymes phytase to make bread soft while keeping amylase and protease under control
