Advertisement
Recipe Collections

How butter works: why recipes call for cold, soft or melted butter

What you use will either give tenderness and lift, flaky layers, or soft density.
How butter works: why recipes call for cold, soft or melted butter

Photo, Roberto Caruso.

Baking essentials: How butter works | January 2016

Soft butter: soft cookies

Soft butter creates tenderness and lift. Use it in cakes and soft cookies. Try it: Oatmeal-raisin cookies.

How butter works: why recipes call for cold, soft or melted butter

Soft butter: cupcakes

How does it create tenderness and lift? When butter and sugar are creamed together, air is incorporated evenly in the base of a batter or dough. Try it in: toasted coconut cupcakes.

Perfectly shaped cupcakes: Toasted coconut cupcakes Photo, Roberto Caruso.

Cold butter: pastry and crispy cookies

Cold butter is ideal for baked goods that should be crisp — it also helps create those beautiful, flaky layers. (Find out why below.) Try it in: maple syrup butter tart squares.

Mape syrup butter tart squares on a blue plate on a wood table on a grey napkin next to cubed butter, maple syrup and a bowl of flour (Photo: Roberto Caruso)

Cold butter: scones and biscuits

For best results when using cold butter, grate butter or use a food processor or pastry knife. Try it in: classic butter scones.

Advertisement
Scone recipes: Fresh scones with jam and cream A bench scraper makes it easier to cut scones. Photo, Roberto Caruso.

Melted butter: loaves

Because melted butter has already released much of its water content, it makes the finished treats soft and dense. Try it in: glazed lemon-poppyseed loaf.

Glazed lemon poppyseed loaf with icing sugar and lemon on top, sliced on baking sheet. (Photography: Roberto Caruso)

Melted butter: brownies

For best results when using melted butter, let it cool to room temperature before incorporating. Try it in: triple-chocolate brownies.

Triple chocolate brownies, made with dark and white chocolate chips, plus cocoa and bittersweet chocolate, dusted with powdered sugar on a blue serving plate next to a cup of black coffee on a rustic wood table (Photo: Roberto Caruso)

Lesson one: soft butter When butter and sugar are creamed together, air is incorporated evenly in the base of a batter or dough. Soft butter creates tenderness and lift.

Use it in: cakes and soft cookies.

Advertisement

For best results: make sure butter is fully at room temperature. If you're in a hurry, cut butter into tiny pieces and it will quickly soften.


Related: Salted butter vs. unsalted butter


Lesson two: cold butter Cold butter is ideal for baked goods that should be crisp. Butter that's straight from the fridge doesn't get fully incorporated into a batter; instead it gets broken down into small pieces throughout your dough. Since butter is about 18 percent water, steam is released in those pockets during baking, which helps create flaky layers.

Use it in: scones, pie crust, biscuits and crispy cookies.

Advertisement

For best results: grate butter or use a food processor or pastry knife. Handle dough as little as possible, and if it starts to feel warm, pop it in the fridge.


Related: How to make better pie pastry


Lesson three: melted butter Because melted butter has already released much of its water content, it makes the finished treats soft and dense, as well as flavourful. Use it in loaves and brownies.

Use it in: loaves and brownies.

Advertisement

For best results: let melted butter cool to room temperature before incorporating.

How to cream butter and sugar:

GET CHATELAINE IN YOUR INBOX!

Subscribe to our newsletters for our very best stories, recipes, style and shopping tips, horoscopes and special offers.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Advertisement
Advertisement