Homemade Buttermilk:
To make buttermilk from any milk substitute, pour 1 TBSP of apple cider vinegar into a liquid measuring cup, then add enough milk to equal a cup. Stir, and allow it to sit for 3 minutes, then stir again. It should be thickened and a little curdled looking. For this recipe, round up to 2 TBSP and add milk to equal 1 3/4 C liquid.
Flax Egg:
1 TBSP ground flax mixed with 3 tablespoons of water; allow to sit 3 minutes. If not thick, add a little more flax. If grinding your own flax, 4 grams whole flax will equal 1 TBSP ground.
One note about pre-ground flax. Flax goes rancid quickly, and the pre-ground options are stripped of all their nutrition. If it has a strong smell, it's gone bad. Throw it away! We suggest getting whole flax and keeping it in your fridge or freezer. You can grind it quickly with a inexpensive coffee grinder.
Marianne's Butter Trick:
When cutting butter into a batter or dough, I like to use frozen butter and grate it in with a cheese grater, then use a pastry cutter to fully incorporate.
Note:
When I made this recipe, my dough was too sticky to knead and I had to add more flour than the recipe specified. This is okay. Before you knead, ask yourself if you can pick it up with floured hands and not have it stick badly. If it is too sticky, add more flour and stir until you can hold it, then knead. When done, it should resemble playdough.
Adapted from Sunset Breads, 1984