Salted or unsalted butter? Are they interchangeable?

QUESTION: If a baking recipe calls for butter, should I assume salted or unsalted? If I guess wrong, what is the impact to the recipe? If salted butter is required, and I only have unsalted, can I add some salt to the recipe with the butter to make my butter salted? If so, how much per stick? – Mike Cronin, Yakima, Washington (formerly of Michigan)

ANSWER: This question is a perennial favorite. Butter adds a rich flavor and texture to most baked goods and in general cooking. But when it comes to substituting one for the other, all is not equal.

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Most baking recipes (cookies, breads, cakes, muffins) call for unsalted butter. The reason is that sometimes, the amount of salt in salted butter can vary. And it can vary, sources say, anywhere from 1 1/2% to 3%, depending on the brand. That’s a big range.

In general cooking, most chefs will use unsalted butter so they can adjust the amount of salt as needed. Depending on how much you use in the recipes, I don’t think it makes a huge difference in general cooking. That said, it’s always important to adjust seasonings as needed and to taste. But when it comes to baking, you can’t adjust after the product has baked. That is why it’s best to use unsalted butter in baking so you can control the amount of salt and the recipe comes out precise every time.

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But if you only have unsalted butter and the recipe calls for salted, the general rule is to add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the recipe.

At many grocery stores, you will now find more European-style butters. They are also sold in salted and unsalted varieties. The difference is the European butter has a higher butterfat content, ranging from 83% to 86%, while U.S. butter is around 80% butterfat and the rest is water. These butters cost about twice as much.

Land O’Lakes has been out with a version of European-style butter for some time now that lists 82% butterfat on the package. I like the creaminess of European butter. It’s purely a matter of taste and cost if you want to use it in baked goods.

Test Kitchen tip: Keep in mind when storing butter that both salted and unsalted can absorb odors from strong foods. Most sources recommend storing butter well-wrapped in the coldest and middle part of the refrigerator. It’s not a good idea to store butter in the butter compartment on the fridge door, because it subjects the butter to temperature changes, and the butter will not last as long. Properly stored, butter will keep about three months in the refrigerator and six months in the freezer.

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Try today’s recipe for Blueberry Muffins. These are Test Kitchen favorite that staffer swoon over.

Have a question? Contact Susan M. Selasky noon-3 p.m. Thursdays at 313-222-6872 or e-mail sselasky@freepress.com. Follow her @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.

Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Glaze

Makes: 12 / Preparation time: 15 minutes / Total time: 45 minutes

This recipe is a Free Press Test Kitchen favorite. It’s easy, and we love how the batter comes together in a just a few steps. The recipe makes exactly 12 muffins, but you can make mini muffins if you like. Tossing the frozen berries into the dry ingredients gives them a dusting of flour that prevents them from sinking in the batter.

Nonstick vegetable cooking spray

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg at room temperature

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

11/4 cups regular or reduced-fat sour cream

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11/2 cups frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a standard muffin tin with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg until it is well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds.

Add the sugar to the egg and whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick, about 30 seconds. Add the melted butter in 2 or 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition. Add the sour cream in 2 additions, whisking just to combine.

Add the frozen blueberries to the dry ingredients and gently toss just to combine. Add the sour cream mixture and fold it in with a rubber spatula until the batter comes together and the berries are evenly distributed, 25-30 seconds. Small spots of flour may remain, and the batter will be thick. Do not overmix.

Spoon or scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Bake until the tops are light golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through the baking time.

Invert the muffins onto a wire rack, stand the muffins upright and let them cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Cook’s note: While the muffins are baking, if you like, mix 1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger or grated lemon zest with 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl.

Bring 1/4 cup of lemon juice and 1/4 cup of sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat; simmer until the mixture is thick and syrupy and reduced to about 4 tablespoons. After the baked muffins have cooled 5 minutes, brush the tops with glaze, then, working one at a time, dip the muffin tops in lemon sugar or ginger sugar. Set the muffins upright on a wire rack and serve.

Adapted from “The America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook” by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated Magazine (Boston Common Press, $29.95).

Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. Analysis per muffin.

242 calories (36% from fat), 10 grams fat (6 grams sat. fat), 36 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, 216 mg. sodium, 39 mg. cholesterol, 96 mg. calcium, 1 gram fiber

Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Recipe