> Alton Brown covers why you get extra rise wih butter milk (an
> acid) and baking soda (an alkaline). Ever seen a bottle
> rocket? From Altons show:

[snip]

Yes. I know why buttermilk makes good pancakes and waffes. I just don't
understand why the buttermilk breads I make rise so much higher than other
breads made without it. I don't use baking soda or powder in my breads, so
that can't be it.

I see two possibilities:

1) I'm delusional: This is not out of the question. I haven't done a side by
side test, but I do know that in the last month, the buttermilk breads I've
made (regular yeast, not sourdough) have risen about a half an inch higher
in an 8.5x4.5" pan than those that didn't have buttermilk.

2) Buttermilk does something to bread dough (or maybe just whole-wheat
dough) that I'm unaware of to assist with the rise.

As I said earlier, adding buttermilk to sourdough bread seems silly, but I
might just try it to see if there's any difference. Anyone out there made
whole wheat sourdough with buttermilk?

--
Jeff