Baking goodies that bring about important tips!

If you’ve poke around this blog, you’ll be very aware of it’s “back to basics”, “made from scratch” type theme.

Today, I happened upon a neat sweet bread recipe that I think I might try my hand at with the help of one summer time first grader that needs an activity to do!  As I peer at the recipe, I see that it calls for buttermilk.

I don’t know about you, but it’s quite rare that I have buttermilk in the house inspite of the comments that I’ve heard and read that its supposed to be very good for you. It’s not here, and I’m not going to the store for it. What to do?

It seems there’s a buttermilk substitute that is pretty well known on the internet:

• Milk (just under one cup)
• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.

2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.

3. Let stand for five minute. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

Happy Day! Back to baking we go! ….but not so fast!  There’s another link that catches my eye.

It seems that there is also a homemade baking powder recipe that is Aluminum free!  What luck! Yippee! Here it is!

Baking powder is a key ingredient in many cake, cookie and bread recipes; but that doesn’t mean you have to pay someone else to make it. Here’s how to make your own baking powder:

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon corn starch (optional)

Preparation:

Mix the baking soda and cream of tartar together until well combined. Use immediately.

Yield: One tablespoon of baking powder.

To store baking powder: Add a teaspoon of corn starch to the mixture, and stir. This will absorb any moisture from the air, and prevent the baking powder from reacting before you need it. Store in an air-tight container.

Did You Know? Most commerically-produced baking powder contains aluminum–sodium aluminum sulfate to be exact. Make your own baking powder, and keep your baked goods aluminum-free.

Here are a couple of interesting facts about aluminum sulfate from wikipedia:

Aluminium sulfate is the active ingredient of some antiperspirants; however, beginning in 2005 the US Food and Drug Administration no longer recognized it as a wetness reducer.

Aluminium sulfate is usually found in baking powder, where there is controversy over its use due to concern regarding the safety of adding aluminum to the diet.

Happy Washing! – …and happy baking today!

~Regina