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Baking 101: How To Brown Butter

March 18, 2015 by Joy the Baker 90 Comments

How To Brown Butter

Browning butter is one of those life skills that should be taught to everyone alongside things like:  how to change a tire,  how to tip at a restaurant, how to ride a bike with no hands, and how to mince garlic.  Everyone should know.  

It’s a good thing I’m here.  I don’t know how to change a tire… but I’m here with butter.  

We talk about Browned Butter a lot.  I’m always trying to wrestle you into adding it to Banana Bread, Baked Donuts, and Grapefruit White Chocolate Cookies. 

Browned Butter is butter cooked until it has melted into a liquid, the water has cooked out, and the milk solids begin to toast and brown to a delicious and nutty state.  

When incorporated into desserts like breads, donuts, and cookies, it subtly deepens the flavor from delicious to ‘ohmygod who made these cookies!?!?’.  That’s the power of browned butter.  Here’s how to make the magic.  

How To Brown Butter

Step One:  Butter (cold or room temperature, preferably unsalted) meets a lightly colored, medium skillet or saucepan.  

It’s important that the bottom of the pan be lightly colored so you can actually see the butter browning.  In a black-bottom pan, you’re left guessing (and probably burning).  A white or silver-bottomed pan is best.  

Place the butter in the pan and place the pan over a stovetop set to medium heat.  Gently place your arms on your hips, assume a good attitude and peaceful face, and standby.  

How To Brown Butter

Step Two:  Allow to butter to melt.  No stick of butter has ever browned without melting first.  

No need to stir of swirl.  Just let the business melt.   

Daydream a bit.  That might be nice.  

Whatever you do, do not multitask.  As soon as you step away from your pan, it’s scientifically proven, you’re going to burn your butter.  

Step Three:  Now we’re going places!  

Once the butter has melted into a liquid, it will start popping and crackling.  That’s the water cooking out of the butter.  Once the water cooks out, the milk solids in the butter will begin to brown.  

So… first popping, then browning.  

Swirl the pan around if you’re feeling restless or chef-y.  Don’t even think about stepping away from your butter. 

How To Brown Butter

Step Four:  Getting there!  

Once the crackling subsides, the butter will begin to brown.  This means that little brown bits will start to appear on the bottom of the pan.  The actual melted butter liquid won’t brown, but rather, the milk solids will begin to brown at the bottom of a pan.  

Use a heat-proof spatula to stir the browning milk solids off the bottom of the pan so they brown more slowly and evenly.  

Once you see the butter browning on the bottom of the pan, the rest of the process will move pretty quickly.  But don’t forget you’re in charge!

To prevent the butter from browning too quickly and burning, simply remove the pan from the heat source.  The heat of the pan alone will slowly brown the butter.  Leaving the pan over the heat source will brown the butter much more quickly, forcing ninja-like reflexes upon you.  

Once the butter solids are browned to golden, immediately remove the pan from the heat (if you haven’t already), and remove the butter from the pan.  The pan is still hot, even when it’s not over direct heat, and will quickly burn the butter solids.  So remove the butter from the pan!  Burnt butter is not as good as Browned butter.  That’s also been scientifically proven. 

How To Brown Butter

Just as the butter browns to golden, a trombone parade should be passing by your house, confetti should fall from your kitchen ceiling, the bathroom will magically clean itself, kittens will trot by wearing party hats, and a unicorn with a bag of hot french fries should be waiting at your front door.  

If those things don’t happen, you’ve done it wrong.  

Golden, nutty, fragrant browned butter is now ready for your favorite recipes!  I humbly suggest The Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Known To Man… but maybe I’m biased.  

Happy butter browning! 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. alison

    March 19, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    THANK YOU!! I never knew that brown butter was so light. No wonder I didn’t like it as mine must have always been burnt. Love this tutorial.

    Reply
  2. jennventures

    March 19, 2015 at 4:36 pm

    Awesome post!! I’ve been meaning to look up how to do this – a friend of mine made a cake with brown butter frosting earlier this year, and my mind was BLOWN. How could one little step make the frosting taste like it had salted caramel mixed in?! Never making normal frosting again. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  3. bryndianajones

    March 19, 2015 at 7:59 am

    The first time I used a white bottomed pan to brown butter I was AMAZED. It is such a satisfying feeling when you can see it happen!

    Reply
  4. Anette

    March 19, 2015 at 7:07 am

    Love the lightness and humour on these last posts :) Have a great spring!

    Reply
  5. Mary

    March 19, 2015 at 6:37 am

    I have always read that you MUST use unsalted butter for the process to work. Has anyone successfully browned salted butter…? I tried once (by accident, grabbed the wrong stick) and it never did brown, so I am wondering if it is possible. I see that your recipe says, “preferably unsalted…” Love your explanation and I am also thinking a white bottomed pan may be in my future!

    Reply
  6. Linda Kittmer

    March 19, 2015 at 6:15 am

    I was sure I was doing it correctly, but alas, no kittens in party hats or unicorns…I’ll keep trying…

    Reply
  7. Julie

    March 19, 2015 at 2:39 am

    someone stole this post and put it on her tumblr

    https://foodffs.tumblr.com/post/114033659277/how-to-brown-butter

    Reply
  8. reba

    March 18, 2015 at 7:12 pm

    So glad you explained this. I think I’ve been burning my butter thinking it was browned.

    Reply
  9. Lori

    March 18, 2015 at 7:08 pm

    This is one cleverly written post!

    Reply
  10. Kathy Mason

    March 18, 2015 at 6:17 pm

    Browned butter over angel hair pasta and sprinkled with finely grated Mizithra cheese. Yum!

    Reply
  11. jujusprinkles

    March 18, 2015 at 6:11 pm

    Wow, I had no idea you can brown butter. Thanks for this informative post!

    Reply
  12. Sweet Tea Sweetie

    March 18, 2015 at 4:06 pm

    These are great tips! I wish I had a white bottom pan!
    Kari
    http://www.sweetteasweetie.com

    Reply
  13. DessertForTwo

    March 18, 2015 at 3:21 pm

    I just made brown butter for the first time the other day! And I also just enjoyed French fries with a unicorn (but that was my second time eating fries with a unicorn…long story). Life is so good!! :)

    Reply
  14. eangus

    March 18, 2015 at 2:55 pm

    browned butter is a little piece of heaven!! and where did you find that gorgeous towel?!?

    Reply
  15. Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

    March 18, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    This question may sound dumb but does it alter the amounts in the recipe at all? If the recipe calls for softened butter – not melted – do I let it come together to a more solid state? And if the water is cooked out of it, does it make a difference? I’m with you about the flavor — I never use nuts anymore without toasting them first. It makes such a huge difference.

    Reply
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