Butter is the flavourful backbone of countless baked goods, providing a solid structure and pillowy texture to some of the most loved treats. Earlier it was just to think of salted or unsalted butter, but now there is a proliferation of options in the stores, and more and more recipes and recipes are specifying specific styles of butter.
Butter consumers in Southeast Asia, as people recognise its crucial role in cooking and baking. From the traditional types of butter used in everyday recipes to speciality butter that adds unique flavours. Butter is a beloved dairy product made by churning milk or cream to separate the butterfat from the buttermilk. This process produces a delicious and versatile fat essential in many culinary traditions worldwide.
Whether you are using it to bake a cake, fry an egg, or spread it on fresh bread, understanding these basics will help you choose the proper butter for your needs.
8 Different Types Of Butter & When To Use Them
Unsalted Butter
Unsalted butter (White makkhan) is the all-purpose flour of the butter world. If a recipe simply calls for “butter,” this is the one to choose. It has a pure, creamy flavour allows the cook to have complete control over salt levels, making it ideal for both baking and savoury cooking. Unsalted butter typically contains about 80% butterfat and 16-18% water. Buying packs of “half-sticks” offers flexibility, especially for baking, as they allow precise measurements. Ideal for baking and savoury cooking, as it allows complete control over salt levels.
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Salted Butter
Unless a recipe specifically calls for salted butter, it is best used for spreading on toast, radishes, crackers, and other direct applications. Historically, salt was added to butter as a preservative, which led to the belief that commercial salted butter used lesser quality or older cream. Today, it is more about flavour preference. For those who prefer to keep butter on the counter, salted butter is a good choice as it lasts longer than unsalted. Best used for spreading on toast, radishes, crackers, and other direct applications.
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European-Style Butter
European butter has a higher butterfat percentage than American butter and is favoured by many chefs, bakers, and home cooks. While American butter must contain at least 80% butterfat, European butter (or American-made “European style” butter) has between 82% and 90% butterfat, with a maximum of 16% water. This higher butterfat content gives a richer flavour, making them excellent for spreading on bread, enhancing sauces, and enriching baked goods. Favoured for its richer flavour, making it excellent for spreading on bread, enhancing sauces, and enriching baked goods.
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Whipped Butter
Whipped butter is a light, fluffy, salted butter that comes in convenient tubs, making it easily spreadable straight from the fridge. It is ideal for toast, pancakes, baked potatoes, and more. If you live in a hot climate where leaving butter out is not an option, whipped butter is a great alternative. You can make your own whipped butter by whipping room-temperature butter in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until it is aerated and fluffy. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Note that whipped butter is not recommended for recipes unless weighed, as its aeration makes volume measures inaccurate. Ideal for spreading on toast, pancakes, baked potatoes, and more due to its light, fluffy texture.
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Vegan Butter
There are various types of salted and unsalted cultured vegan butter available, made from ingredients like vegetable oil, almond oil, olive oil, avocado oil, cashew milk, and coconut oil. These vegan butter taste and act like dairy butter, making them suitable for baking, spreading, melting, or browning. Suitable for baking, spreading, melting, or browning, providing a plant-based alternative to dairy butter.
Clarified Butter and Ghee
Clarified butter is butter that has been cooked to remove the water and milk solids, leaving pure butterfat. This process gives it a higher smoke point, making it suitable for high-heat cooking without the risk of burning. Ghee, a South Asian style of clarified butter, involves browning the milk solids before straining, giving it a nutty flavour. Excellent for high-heat cooking, providing a rich, buttery flavour without the risk of burning. Ghee is readily available in grocery stores and is excellent for sautéing or other high-heat cooking, providing a rich, buttery flavour. Both clarified butter and ghee are good options for those with dairy sensitivities but not allergies.
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Browned Butter
The French call brown butter “beurre noisette” or hazelnut butter due to its deep brown colour and nutty, complex aroma and flavour. Brown butter is made by melting butter and cooking it further until the water evaporates and the milk solids brown and become toasty. This process intensifies the butter's flavour, making it a delicious addition to both sweet and savoury dishes.
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Cultured Butter
Cultured butter is made with slightly fermented cream, intensifying the flavour and adding tangy notes to the final product. It is great for spreading on bread, garnishing vegetables, or making compound butter, and is especially tasty drizzled on popcorn. Cultured butter is not recommended for recipes unless specifically called for, as its tangy flavour can be quite pronounced.
Whether you are looking for the best butter for baking or something to add zing to your breakfast, understand and choose your butter wisely.