I've been hooked on using brown butter in baking ever since I first made it, and it's one of those shortcut ingredients to great cooking. It takes cake to a whole new level of complex, nutty deliciousness, and adds toasted flavors to blondies, cornbread, or even savory dishes like pasta and risotto.
Every self-respecting home baker should know how to brown butter, especially considering there's nothing to it. If you have butter, a pan, and a rubber spatula, you're good to go.
Step One: Heat Butter in a Light-Colored Pot
Butter consists of clear yellowish butterfat, water, and milk proteins. When browning butter, those proteins are what's actually browning. I start by plopping the desired amount of butter in a heavy-bottomed and preferably light-colored saucepan. The heavy bottom ensures the butter heats evenly while the light color allows you to monitor the butter's color as it browns.
Heat the butter gently over low heat until it has melted completely.
I usually stir the butter with a rubber spatula all through the browning process, which also helps it melt evenly.
Step Two: Cook Off Water
Butter contains a good 13 to 17% water, which has to go before the fat's temperature can rise enough to brown the milk proteins. Once the butter reaches a temperature of 212°F, the water in the butter starts to evaporate much more quickly. As a result the butter will start to bubble and splatter dramatically. I usually place a splatter screen over the pan at this point, though swirling the pan and stirring constantly to make sure any and all bubbles get released will work as well.
If you're confident, you can raise the temperature to medium or medium-high at this point, though higher temperatures means your butter will go from perfect to burnt much faster. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the pan to prevent the butter from catching and burning.
Step Three: Brown the Milk Solids
After about five minutes the butter will start to foam. This is when you want to watch the butter like a hawk, stirring it around with your spatula to prevent the milk solids from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
You can tell the butter is browning because dark golden flecks (browned milk solids) will appear in the melted butter, which will start to smell nutty and toasty.
The foam can make it hard to see if the butter is browned to your liking, so to check the color, try clearing away some of the foam with a spoon or take the pan off the heat and spoon a little of the butter onto a white plate.
Once you're happy with the level of browning, pour the butter—browned milk solids and all—into a heatproof bowl and stir it for one or two minutes to cool it down. If you were to leave the butter in the pan, the residual heat would continue to cook it, and the butter might scorch from a perfect brown to a burnt-tasting black.
Also, keep in mind that only the milk solids turn a dark golden brown, not the butter itself. The fat will be darker as well, but not as dramatically as the milk solids.
The hot melted butter can be used immediately in savory dishes (try drizzling it over pasta), or chilled to cream into cookies and cakes.
The key to browned butter is getting it browned just enough, which requires some attention. Too dark, and the flavor will taste burnt. If you don't cook the butter long enough, it won't have the deep, nutty flavor you're after.
The key to browned butter is getting it browned just enough, which requires some attention. Too dark, and the flavor will taste burnt. If you don't cook the butter long enough, it won't have the deep, nutty flavor you're after.
Yep! DH Hot Tip: lf you're new to browning butter, consider taking the pan off of the burner as soon as you start to see little golden bits on the bottom of the pan. Continue to stir until the golden bits deepen a bit and pour into a heat-safe bowl to finish cooling.
Why is my butter not browning? If using American butter, there is a higher percentage of water that needs to evaporate before the proteins in the milk solids will start to brown. Stick with it, the butter will turn eventually.
As butter melts, it will begin to foam. Watch butter closely. The color will progress from a bright yellow to a golden tan, then quickly to a deep golden brown. When you smell a nutty aroma, butter is deep golden brown and browned milk solids appear in bottom of pan, take pan off the heat.
It's important to remove the butter from the heat as leaving it in the hot pan or on the stove can push it over the edge from deliciously golden brown to burnt. If your butter goes too far and burns sadly there is no saving it. Count it as a learning experience and start over.
Add 1 tablespoon (14g) water (or other liquid) for every 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons, 113g) of butter used. Failing to add this extra liquid may yield a somewhat greasy final result, especially in something like chocolate chip cookies. For the biggest bang, use brown butter in butter-forward baked goods.
Once you're happy with the level of browning, pour the butter—browned milk solids and all—into a heatproof bowl and stir it for one or two minutes to cool it down.
Keeping the heat on low and whisking continuously will slowly brown more of the butter. If the heat is too high and/or you're not whisking, the milk solids sticking to the bottom of the pan will burn.
Perfectly browned butter should be deep amber in color and have a nutty fragrance, with darker milk solids visible on the bottom. Check out the side-by-side photos below!
Brown butter is butter that has been melted and gently cooked to the point of toasting the milk solids that are found in butter. This gentle toasting and caramelization releases a game-changing flavor profile that adds depth and richness to your recipe.
Melt the butter: Melt the butter in a medium light-colored frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally to be sure the butter is cooking evenly. Watch carefully: As the butter melts, it will begin to foam. The color will progress from lemony-yellow to golden-tan to, finally, a toasty-brown.
The milk solids, those white foamy bits, will begin to brown as the butter continues to cook. They're the key to the delicious flavour, so you'll want to ensure an even browning by continually whisking the butter or swirling it in the pan. Avoid letting those milk solids burn at the bottom.
The grains found in brown butter are the toasted milk solids that have sunk to the bottom of the liquid fat. These specks of goodness are the primary reason brown butter is so delicious: The browned milk solids have an overwhelming caramel flavor that makes any dish taste like melted candy.
Once melted, the butter will begin to foam and sizzle around the edges. Keep stirring. In about 5–8 minutes from when you started (depending on the amount of butter you used), the butter will turn golden brown. The foam will slightly subside and the milk solids on the bottom of the pan will toast.
Add 1 tablespoon (14g) water (or other liquid) for every 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons, 113g) of butter used. Failing to add this extra liquid may yield a somewhat greasy final result, especially in something like chocolate chip cookies. For the biggest bang, use brown butter in butter-forward baked goods.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Lawanda Wiegand, I am a inquisitive, helpful, glamorous, cheerful, open, clever, innocent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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