How to Melt Butter
Cut the butter into pieces., Place the butter in a heavy pan or double boiler if possible., Heat on low., Watch until 3/4 of the butter has melted., Remove from heat and stir., If the recipe calls for browning, heat until specks appear.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Cut the butter into pieces.
Cut the butter into cubes or chunks so the heat doesn't have to melt its way slowly through the butter to reach the center.
The more surface area you expose to the heat, the faster the butter will melt.
You don't need to aim for an exact size.
Try cutting a stick of butter into four or five pieces. -
Step 2: Place the butter in a heavy pan or double boiler if possible.
A pan with a heavy base should distribute heat more evenly than thin pans.
This helps minimize the chance of burning the butter, by melting every part of it at a similar rate.
A double boiler is even safer.
Even a light pan, however, may produce more evenly melted butter than a microwave.
You can make your own double boiler by stacking two pans. , Butter melts between 82 and 97ºF (28–36ºC), which can be about room temperature on a hot day.
Turn the heat on low to avoid heating the butter too far past this point, which can result in burning or smoking. , The heat should remain low enough that the butter melts without browning.
Use a spoon or spatula to spread the butter over the bottom of the pan as it melts. , Turn off the heat or move to another stove burner, and stir the mostly melted butter.The butter and pan surrounding the unmelted chunks are still hot, and should be enough to melt the remaining butter.
This method has a much lower risk of burning compared to leaving the butter on the stove to melt the rest of the way.
Return to the heat for thirty seconds if there are still chunks after stirring. , You do not need to brown your butter unless the recipe specifies browned butter.
If it does, keep the heat low and stir the butter continually with a gentle motion.
The butter will foam, then form brown specks.
Once you see these specks, remove from heat and stir until the butter turns amber brown, then pour into a room temperature dish. -
Step 3: Heat on low.
-
Step 4: Watch until 3/4 of the butter has melted.
-
Step 5: Remove from heat and stir.
-
Step 6: If the recipe calls for browning
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Step 7: heat until specks appear.
Detailed Guide
Cut the butter into cubes or chunks so the heat doesn't have to melt its way slowly through the butter to reach the center.
The more surface area you expose to the heat, the faster the butter will melt.
You don't need to aim for an exact size.
Try cutting a stick of butter into four or five pieces.
A pan with a heavy base should distribute heat more evenly than thin pans.
This helps minimize the chance of burning the butter, by melting every part of it at a similar rate.
A double boiler is even safer.
Even a light pan, however, may produce more evenly melted butter than a microwave.
You can make your own double boiler by stacking two pans. , Butter melts between 82 and 97ºF (28–36ºC), which can be about room temperature on a hot day.
Turn the heat on low to avoid heating the butter too far past this point, which can result in burning or smoking. , The heat should remain low enough that the butter melts without browning.
Use a spoon or spatula to spread the butter over the bottom of the pan as it melts. , Turn off the heat or move to another stove burner, and stir the mostly melted butter.The butter and pan surrounding the unmelted chunks are still hot, and should be enough to melt the remaining butter.
This method has a much lower risk of burning compared to leaving the butter on the stove to melt the rest of the way.
Return to the heat for thirty seconds if there are still chunks after stirring. , You do not need to brown your butter unless the recipe specifies browned butter.
If it does, keep the heat low and stir the butter continually with a gentle motion.
The butter will foam, then form brown specks.
Once you see these specks, remove from heat and stir until the butter turns amber brown, then pour into a room temperature dish.
About the Author
Jerry Cooper
Experienced content creator specializing in hobbies guides and tutorials.
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