Butter

Butter is one of the most important ingredients in cooking and baking. Made from churned cream, it provides richness, flavour, and texture that few substitutes can replicate.

Types

• Unsalted — the default for baking and most cooking. Lets you control the salt level.
• Salted — convenient for spreading and finishing. Contains about 1.5% salt.
• Cultured — made from fermented cream. Tangier, more complex flavour. Common in European butter.
• Clarified / ghee — milk solids removed, giving a higher smoke point (250°C / 480°F). Ideal for high-heat cooking.

Cooking techniques

• Brown butter (beurre noisette) — cook butter over medium heat until the milk solids toast golden. Adds a nutty, caramelised depth to pasta, vegetables, and baked goods.
• Beurre blanc — emulsified butter sauce with white wine and shallots. Classic with fish.
• Mounting — swirl cold butter into a finished sauce off the heat for body and shine.
• Creaming — beat softened butter with sugar to incorporate air. The foundation of most cake batters.

Baking notes

Butter temperature matters enormously in baking:

• Cold — for flaky pastry (scones, pie crust). Creates steam pockets.
• Room temperature — for creaming into cakes and cookies.
• Melted — for dense, chewy textures (brownies).