Buttermilk
10.0Mix 1/2 cup buttermilk + 1/4 tsp baking soda to replace 1 tsp baking powder; reduce other liquid
Dressings rarely call for baking powder, but a 1/8 tsp pinch in a buttermilk ranch or creamy Caesar raises pH just enough to keep mustard-oil emulsions stable above 65°F for 2+ hours on a salad bar. Coating on leafy greens depends on surface tension; a swap that drops pH below 4 curdles the dairy and slides off lettuce instead of clinging. This page scores substitutes on room-temp emulsion stability and taste-as-served over a 4-hour holding window.
Mix 1/2 cup buttermilk + 1/4 tsp baking soda to replace 1 tsp baking powder; reduce other liquid
1/2 cup buttermilk plus 1/4 tsp baking soda per 1 tsp baking powder (as written, this becomes the dressing base itself — ranch, green goddess). Stable emulsion holds 2-3 hours at 65°F before casein breaks; keep refrigerated between services and whisk to reincorporate any separation.