Reader Nora asks:
You say that fat is what thickens a fermented dairy product like sour cream, but yogurt is even thicker and has almost no fat. Can you explain that?
I can. (I think). But first I should clarify that fat isn’t the only thing that thickens sour cream. Both yogurt and sour cream are thickened [...]
I’ve always felt that “buttermilk” is a misleading term. It implies a richer form of ordinary milk, when in fact most buttermilk is about as rich as low-fat milk. That makes a lot of sense when you consider where buttermilk comes from, for it’s the liquid that’s leftover when fat (butter) is removed from cream. [...]
…won’t I just make more yogurt? That question from a few folks overnight. The answer is no. But why? Because yogurt cultures, like all fermenting cultures, are composed of scores of different types of microbes. Some grow better than others depending on things like temperature and humidity. The bacteria that create the stiff gels we [...]
Cultured butter is now synonymous with European-style butter, however it was once common in the States, at least until the rise of “sweet cream” butter, which is the American standard now. The spread of sweet cream butter was based on a technological innovation: refrigeration. For it was refrigeration that made it possible to get milk [...]
I’ve been having some fascinating discussions with a few readers via email, all about Peter Reinhart and the evolution of his whole wheat sandwich bread recipe. The conversations began when three readers alerted me to the fact that Reinhart updated his recipe in his most recent book, Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day. Essentially, he [...]
What, you mean you didn’t know you could make ganache with crème fraîche? Indeed you can, and a splendidly rich, smooth, sweet and tangy experience it is too. Some people make ganache using nothing but crème fraîche (or sour cream) for the dairy component. I myself prefer a mellower 50-50 blend of crème fraîche and [...]
I know, I know, it’s not normal for most of us in this day and age to leave dairy products sitting out at room temperature. Most of our kitchen devices are designed to prevent spoilage, which — let’s face it — is pretty much what fermentation is. It’s therefore not surprising that so many [...]