How to Perfectly Brown Butter for Your Recipes
Step-by-step instructions for browning butter on the stovetop.
Equipment
- 1 wide, thick saucepan
- 1 heat-safe silicone spatula or wooden spoon
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, unsalted
Instructions
- Cut the butter into eight equal pieces and place them into the saucepan.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and let the butter melt.
- Heat until the butter starts to form a white foam, stirring occasionally.
- Continue cooking and stirring. The white foam will increase, and the butter may splatter.
- Cook until the butter boils. The foam will disappear, and bubbles will appear.
- As the butter continues to cook, the top will fill with bubbles. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently move the bubbles, allowing you to see the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. If the browned bits are still pale brown, cook for a little longer.
- When the browned bits on the bottom of the pan are golden brown, and you are satisfied with the color, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool. If you prefer the butter to be browned to an even deeper color, continue cooking until you are satisfied. Be aware that butter can quickly change from a perfect brown to a dark, burned brown in the last few minutes of browning.
- Use the butter according to your recipe instructions, chilling it to a solid state if necessary.
Notes
Yield
The process of browning butter yields less butter than you started with because it loses water during cooking. To ensure you have enough for a recipe, brown more butter than the specified amount. If you find yourself short, add a small portion of unbrowned butter to make up the difference.Storage
Store this butter in the refrigerator or freezer. It will keep as long as unbrowned butter.Nutritional Information
The nutritional information listed is for 1/2 cup of butter.Nutrition
Calories: 814kcalCarbohydrates: 0.1gProtein: 1gFat: 92gSaturated Fat: 58gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 4gCholesterol: 244mgSodium: 730mgPotassium: 27mgSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 2836IUCalcium: 27mgIron: 0.02mg
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