# Help with curdling buttermilk



## Sprout (Aug 18, 2012)

I'm trying to make a buttermilk yeast bread recipe I found online. It says to mix oil, honey, and 1 1/4 c buttermilk in a sauce pan and heat until very warm. The first time I set the heat to between medium and medium-high and it curdled. I figured it was the high heat (my foolishness), so I cleaned the pan, added just the buttermilk, just in case, and set the pan to medium-low. Before the milk was even remotely warm it curdled again. I'm running out of buttermilk here. Any suggestions?


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## Hoot (Aug 18, 2012)

You should heat the buttermilk gradually...too much heat will make it curdle.


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## CWS4322 (Aug 18, 2012)

What about tempering it as if it were an egg (like when you add eggs to the cream mixture when making ice cream).


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## Steve Kroll (Aug 18, 2012)

Buttermilk curdles because of its low fat content. Try adding a little cream before heating it. You also might try heating in a microwave rather than on the stovetop.


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## Sprout (Aug 20, 2012)

Hoot said:


> You should heat the buttermilk gradually...too much heat will make it curdle.



So med-low was too hot?


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## Sprout (Aug 20, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> What about tempering it as if it were an egg (like when you add eggs to the cream mixture when making ice cream).



What would I temper it with? The only other things that get warmed are the oil and honey. Wouldn't the oil or honey get too hot and curdle as soon as I added it to the buttermilk?


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## Sprout (Aug 20, 2012)

Steve Kroll said:


> Buttermilk curdles because of its low fat content. Try adding a little cream before heating it. You also might try heating in a microwave rather than on the stovetop.



I'll have to try adding cream if I have some on hand next time. 

I assume I would put the microwave on low and heat a few seconds at a time?

I think maybe I should stick to recipes that don't require warm buttermilk.


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## Steve Kroll (Aug 20, 2012)

Sprout said:


> I'll have to try adding cream if I have some on hand next time.
> 
> I assume I would put the microwave on low and heat a few seconds at a time?
> 
> I think maybe I should stick to recipes that don't require warm buttermilk.


Or maybe just add the buttermilk cold or at room temperature. I'm not sure why it would need to be heated. I'm assuming it's to help the yeast rise, but yeast will do their thing even in cold liquids, just not as quickly.


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## Sprout (Aug 20, 2012)

Steve Kroll said:


> Or maybe just add the buttermilk cold or at room temperature. I'm not sure why it would need to be heated. I'm assuming it's to help the yeast rise, but yeast will do their thing even in cold liquids, just not as quickly.



I was thinking that too, but I've never worked with buttermilk before, so I wasn't sure if there was some other reason. I think it's also to help the honey mix in, but that just makes it easier, not necessary. Thank you!


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## CWS4322 (Aug 20, 2012)

Sprout said:


> What would I temper it with? The only other things that get warmed are the oil and honey. Wouldn't the oil or honey get too hot and curdle as soon as I added it to the buttermilk?


Heat part of the buttermilk and then temper the rest? It was just a thought, not s/thing I have actually done.


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## LindaZ (Aug 20, 2012)

I would check the date on the buttermilk, if it's old, it will not work as well as fresh. Also, I've heated buttermilk before and I just stir it gently while it's heating over a low heat with a wooden spoon. I've never added anything to it, but I can't imagine that oil and honey would make it curdle. I remove it as soon as it "feels" warm, meaning I stick my finger in it to test. Also are you using pure vegetable oil or canola/corn/olive? The type of oil may have something to do with it. Hope this helps.


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## CWS4322 (Aug 20, 2012)

If making bread, powdered buttermilk dissolved in warm-almost hot water would work.


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## taxlady (Aug 20, 2012)

When I need warm buttermilk, I make it by heating some milk and adding cider vinegar, then stir.


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