Does Butter Matter When Baking?
Not butter per se, but the kind of butter you use. The answer, in short, is yes. I never really gave it much thought, to tell you the truth, just grabbing what I have on hand in the refrigerator. Maarten Steenman, who is the owner and pastry chef of La Tulipe Desserts in Mount Kisco, New York, makes a pretty strong case for Plugra Butter.
“Baking is very fine and detailed work, and I use only the best ingredients: Sicilian pistachios and Turkish apricots, for instance, because my customers expect the highest quality. Most bakeries use Crisco or margarine because they’re inexpensive, but I use Plugra butter and usually go through about 150 pounds a week. I love the flavor - it’s richer and creamier than regular butter. My brioches and croissants have an unusually light and flaky texture, and I love the aroma as it melts and bakes. It’s 82 percent butterfat and 15 percent water, and that helps me make dough that is easy to knead, for everything from cakes to beignets.”
Now to just find the stuff! Although it is most widely sold at specialty good stores. I just did a quick search and found three major grocery store chains that carry it (Shop Rite, A&P and Acme). It goes for about $4 per 8 ounces.
Photo from Plugra’s website.
Plugra butter is awesome. I use Land O’ Lakes butter in my everyday baking, but when the butter quality and flavor really matters (pound cake, butter cookies and most recently Nanaimo Bars), I use Plugra. LURPAK is a Danish butter that is a good second-best to Plugra.