Does It Matter If You Use Salted Or Unsalted Butter In A Recipe?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Does it matter if you use salted or unsalted butter in a recipe?

Both salted butter and unsalted butter can be used interchangeably in any recipe

, but if the recipe calls specifically for unsalted butter, it’s probably because the recipe has been tested with it and it’s the preferred butter for that particular recipe.

What happens if you use salted butter instead of unsalted?

You can use salted butter instead of unsalted butter if that’s all you’ve got, especially if you’re making something simple like cookies where the chemistry of adding salt in a specific amount and at a certain time

won’t terribly affect the outcome

, unlike bread.

When a recipe calls for butter salted or unsalted?

Regular butter contains some salt, and most recipes take this into account. But if you only have

unsalted butter when the recipe calls for regular butter, you can add a 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt for every stick or 1⁄2 cup of Challenge Unsalted Butter required

.

Can you use salted butter in baking instead of unsalted?

Will salted butter ruin cake?

One question I get asked all the time is whether it is acceptable to use salted butter in baking, since most recipes either don’t specify salted or unsalted, or explicitly recommended unsalted butter. The simple answer is that

yes, it is fine to use salted butter in baking

.

Why is unsalted butter used in some baking recipes?

If you’re baking a cobbler, you’ll most definitely want to reach for the unsalted butter. Here’s why: Most importantly: unsalted butter

ensures that you can control the amount of salt you add to your cakes, cookies and Fig and Almond Breakfast Cake

. Different companies add different amounts of salt to their butter.

Does salted butter make a difference in baking?


It would take quite a lot of salted butter to really produce a huge taste difference in baked goods

, but it’s still good to be able to fully control the amount of salt. 2. Unsalted butter is fresher. Salt is a preservative and therefore, salted butter has a longer shelf life than unsalted butter.

What’s the best butter to cook with?

For baking purposes, the Test Kitchen recommends using

unsalted butter

so you can better control the amount of salt that goes into the recipe. Salted butter is best for serving at the table with bread or to flavor a dish, like mashed potatoes.

How much extra salt does unsalted butter have?

More recipes:

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.

Should I use salted or unsalted butter for pound cake?


Unsalted butter works best for this cake

. It should be softened, but not so soft that it’s greasy, melty, or oily. Sugar. We stick with tradition and use regular granulated sugar only in this cake.

What butter do professional chefs use?

Among the favorites are

Kerrygold, Trader Joe’s Cultured Salted Butter, Land O’Lakes, and Goat Butter

. One chef also loved a flavored butter that’s called Everything Bagel Butter. Visit INSIDER.com for more stories.

Does the quality of butter matter in baking?


Higher butterfat makes better cookies

.

2% may seem small, but it makes a BIG difference in quality, flavor, and texture. More butterfat means less water, and lower moisture makes cookies that rise higher, crisp more evenly, and have a nice flakiness.

What butter should I use for baking?

Bakers and chefs usually choose

unsalted butter

in their recipes because it’s easier to manage the salt content in the dish. Most recipes that call for butter—especially baked goods and desserts—are created with unsalted butter. It is the standard in baking and is always implied unless otherwise specified.

What can I use if I don’t have unsalted butter?

Substitutes for Unsalted Butter

For 1 cup unsalted butter, substitute

1 cup shortening, 7⁄8 cup (that’s 14 Tbsp. or 3⁄4 cup plus 2 Tbsp.) vegetable oil, or 7⁄8 cup lard

.

How many teaspoons of salt are in a stick of salted butter?

While the amount of salt per stick of butter will vary by brand, the general answer is that one stick of salted butter contains

1⁄3 teaspoon

of salt total.

How much salt do I add to a pound of unsalted butter?

Answer: The ratio of salt to butter varies from brand to brand. The typical amount of salt in an unsalted butter is

1 to 2 teaspoons per pound

, or 1/4 tsp to 1/2 teaspoon per 4 oz. stick.

What is the secret to a good pound cake?

“Pound cake should be

light, with a finely textured, moist, and even crumb

,” says Claire Saffitz, BA’s associate food editor and baker extraordinaire. She has created, tested, and made dozens of pound cakes, plus she’s well-versed in the science of baking (yep, it’s a science).

What makes a cake dense and heavy?

Why is my cake dry and crumbly?

Do you need to refrigerate butter?


If you prefer unsalted butter, refrigerate it

. Same goes for whipped butter. If it creeps above 70 degrees Fahrenheit in your kitchen, all butter should go into the fridge to avoid going bad — even into the freezer if you want to store it for a few months.

Is Land O’Lakes real butter?

Response from Land O’Lakes:

To answer your ingredient question,

our butter is made with just cream and salt

. Butter is 80 percent fat, and no oils are added to our stick butter.

What kind of butter does Gordon Ramsay use?

There, chefs baste the meat with

Devonshire Butter

, like you would a turkey on Thanksgiving day. You don’t have to babysit the meat on the grill like that to take the technique to the next level, though.

How does butter affect baking?

Does type of butter affect cookies?

You may have noticed that

even the type of butter you use can affect your baking

. For example, a tender, flaky pie crust or buttery cookies. That is because some premium kinds of butter have a higher fat content, with less moisture than regular supermarket type butter.

What brand of butter is best for cookies?


Land O’Lakes unsalted butter

is a go-to for many home bakers since it’s known to produce consistent results and is available almost everywhere. It has a fairly mild flavor, making it ideal for baked goods that don’t need a strong butter flavor.

What happens if you use margarine instead of unsalted butter?

In baking, melted margarine could work in recipes that call for melted butter, but in recipes that call for softened butter, swapping in tub margarine may change the texture; for example,

cakes will be less tender, and cookies will generally spread out more and be less crisp

.

Which butter is best for cake making?

What butter should I use for cakes?

For cakes, cookies, and pastries,

butter (unsalted, that is)

provides richer flavor. (It begins as cream, after all, and margarine is made from vegetable oil.) Butter’s high fat content is also what gives baked goods their texture.

Can I use salted butter for baking Reddit?

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.