The Expert Rule For Substituting Yogurt In Your Bread Recipe

Once you get into your bread flow, it can be scary to change up a recipe, experiment with ratios, or even tweak bake timing considering that any change can put you right back to square one. But there are so many reasons to try adding yogurt to your bread. For one, it makes your bread softer for a fluffy, pillow-like loaf. Adding yogurt can enhance the flavor and has even been scientifically proven to improve the taste and texture of gluten-free breads. Convinced yet? Good.

We talked to Jami Callao, who oversees Respect Hospitality's pastry and bread programs, to get her expert rule for substituting yogurt in bread recipes. "I'd recommend replacing only half of the fat or liquid with yogurt to strike a good balance," says Callao. She is also a big fan of adding yogurt for the extra tenderness, lighter texture, and the subtle tangy flavor that it adds to the bread.

Most homemade bread recipes use some combination of salt, fat, flour, and a leavening agent like yeast. While adding yogurt to this classic mixture might sound intimidating, it's quite easy to do, especially with Jami Callao's 50:50 ratio tip. To ease into using yogurt in your dough, we recommend starting with a dessert bread, like banana bread, since the dough doesn't require much (if any) proofing and resting time. To try out our Brown Butter Banana Bread recipe with yogurt, simply swap out the ⅓ sour cream for yogurt and enjoy the sweet, moist loaf hiding under the crispy, buttery crust.

If you're craving more of a savory loaf with dinner, boule is another worthy bread to experiment with by adding yogurt. To try this swap with our Classic Boule Bread recipe, we recommend replacing the water with 1¾ cups yogurt. This recipe only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, so if you mess up, you're bound to have more time to get it right before serving.