Functions Of Butter In Baking

Are you wondering about the functions of butter in baking? In this article, we will discuss what it is, how it works, and the functions it can perform.

Butter is a type of dairy product made from an emulsion of the fat and proteins of churned cream. This product contains about 80% milkfat (aka. butterfat), 10-15% water, and 5% milk solids. Butterfat is the fat that is present in milk and cream. Butter is a semi-solid product at room temperature and melts into a liquid when it is heated.

WHAT IS BUTTER?

Obviously, salted butter contains salt. Regular butter doesn’t contain any salt and is labeled as “unsalted butter”. These two kinds of butter can be used interchangeably, but they will affect the flavor of your final product.

SALTED VS UNSALTED – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Butter is made from dairy (an animal-based ingredient) and is very high in saturated fats. Margarine, on the other hand, is made from plant oils, meaning it is often completely vegan. Margarine is actually commonly referred to as the original vegan butter. People just never realized that’s what it is.

BUTTER VS MARGARINE

ADDS FLAVOR This is always the first function you will hear people talk about. Butter adds a very rich and semi-sweet flavor. If you are using salted butter, naturally it will also add some saltiness to your recipe.

WHAT DOES BUTTER DO IN BAKING? 

IMPROVES TEXTURE Butter, but really any type of fat, helps improve the texture of baked goods by making them more tender. This happens because fat helps inhibit the development of gluten (it shortens gluten strands).

WHAT DOES BUTTER DO IN BAKING? 

HELPS THE LEAVENING PROCESS Now, using butter as a leavening agent isn’t commonly heard of. But, butter is actually a fantastic way to leaven your products and give them a specific amount of lift.

WHAT DOES BUTTER DO IN BAKING? 

As you can see, using butter in baking is crucial for some baked goods to help promote good texture and a rich flavor. Feel free to share this article with your fellow bakers to help inform them of the many functions of butter and how it works.

Functions Of Butter In Baking