Emilie Meyer
Butter is a delicious, creamy, and sometimes salty fat that is also an emulsion, meaning it's a combination of two or more liquids that usually separate but have been seamlessly blended. When heated, the two components, milk solids and water, begin to separate. This is why butter melts at a relatively low temperature compared to other fats. The milk solids are susceptible to burning, which will easily ruin a dish as burnt butter is bitter and pungent. To melt butter, it is best to use low heat and remove it from the heat source just before it has completely melted.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Melting point of butter | 82°F-97°F (28°C-36°C) |
| Butter's composition | Water, protein, and dairy fat (milk solids) |
| Why butter shouldn't be heated in a hot pan | The water in the butter can make it explode, and the milk solids burn |
| How to melt butter in a pan | Cut butter into pieces, heat on low, swirl the pan, and stir until fully melted |
| Browning butter | Heat butter until it melts and changes colour to golden brown, then remove from heat |
| Clarified butter | Heat butter until almost all bubbles are gone |
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What You'll Learn
Butter burns at a low temperature, so use low heat
Butter is an emulsion, a combination of two or more liquids that usually separate, but have been seamlessly combined. It is made of water, a small amount of protein, and a high concentration of dairy fat, or milk solids. When butter is heated, the two components begin to separate, and the water starts to evaporate.
The milk solids in butter are very susceptible to burning. Butter burns at a relatively low temperature, between 82°F and 97°F, which is lower than the high temperatures used to sear foods like steak. Burnt butter has a bitter taste and a pungent, slightly metallic smell, which can easily ruin a dish. Therefore, it is recommended to heat butter slowly and use low heat when melting it.
To melt butter, place it in a small, heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir the butter regularly until it is about 3/4 melted, then remove it from the heat and let the remaining chunks melt in the residual heat. This will prevent the butter from burning or smoking. If you are browning butter, cook it over medium heat, swirling the pan and stirring occasionally, until it turns a golden brown colour. Remove it from the heat once it has a nutty aroma, as the milk solids will continue to brown even after it is removed from the burner.
Additionally, it is important to note that the water in butter can cause it to explode if heated too quickly, especially if the pan is preheated. Therefore, always use a dry pan and heat the butter slowly to avoid this issue.
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Browning butter: heat until it melts and changes colour
Browning butter is a simple kitchen skill that can elevate any dish or recipe. It is a one-ingredient wonder that can be used as a sauce or as an ingredient in sweet or savoury recipes.
To brown butter, cut the butter into pieces and place them in a light-coloured, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. This ensures that the butter cooks evenly. Continuously stir and swirl the butter around the pan as it melts. The butter will start to foam and sizzle around the edges.
As the foam subsides, the milk solids will sink to the bottom of the pan and start to brown. The butter will turn a deep golden brown and smell intensely buttery, nutty, and rich. This process should take around 5-8 minutes, depending on the amount of butter used.
Once the butter has reached the desired colour, immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking process. Burnt butter is bitter and unappetizing, so it is important to keep a close eye on the stove throughout the entire process. The brown specks in brown butter are toasted milk solids, which is where most of the flavour comes from.
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Melting butter separates the milk solids and water
Butter is an emulsion, which means it is a combination of two or more liquids that usually separate but have been seamlessly combined. Butter is made up of butterfat, milk solids (proteins), and water. When you heat butter, the two components begin to separate. As the butter melts, you'll notice white flecks floating on the surface of a yellowish liquid. The white flecks are the milk solids or fat component of the butter, while the liquid contains a lot of water.
The longer you heat the melting butter, it will move through different stages. You'll notice the liquid start to boil, and the bubbles will multiply so quickly that it will turn into a froth. That's the water evaporating. If you take this process to the point where almost no bubbles remain, you'll end up with clarified butter, also called ghee, a form of highly concentrated butter that is mostly just fat.
To make clarified butter, heat the butter in a small saucepan until it is just boiling. The white solids should have sunk to the bottom of the saucepan, and there may be a slight foam on top of the butter. Remove the saucepan from the heat and use a spoon to skim off the foam. Carefully pour the butterfat into a heatproof container, leaving the milky solids in the saucepan. Clarified butter is made by separating and then discarding the milk solids, resulting in a clear golden fat that can be heated to a higher temperature than regular butter.
It's important to note that butter burns at a relatively low temperature. When melting butter in a hot pan, it can start burning almost instantly. This is because the water in the butter will make the butter explode, especially when you preheat the pan. Therefore, it is recommended to melt butter on a lower setting or in a dry pan on low heat.
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Don't melt butter in a wet pan, as the water will make the butter explode
Butter is an emulsion, a combination of two or more liquids that usually separate, but have been seamlessly combined. Butter is an emulsification of milk fat and water. When you heat butter, the two components begin to separate. As the butter melts, you'll notice white flecks floating on the surface of a yellowish liquid. These white flecks are the milk solids, or the fat component of butter, while the liquid contains a lot of water.
If you heat the melting butter for long enough, the liquid will start to boil and you'll see bubbles multiplying and frothing. This is the water evaporating. If you continue heating, eventually almost no bubbles will remain, and you'll be left with clarified butter, or ghee, which is a highly concentrated form of butter that is mostly just fat.
However, if you add butter to a hot pan, the water in the butter will boil off very quickly, and this can cause the butter to explode. This is especially true if the pan is wet, as the water in the pan will also boil and turn to steam, and this steam will launch little bits of the fat with it, creating an aerosol of tiny droplets of oil that can catch fire. To avoid this, always add butter to a dry pan on low heat.
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Use indirect heat to melt butter evenly
To melt butter evenly, use indirect heat. This is a good method to use if you want to avoid burning the butter, which can change its flavour.
Firstly, cut the butter into small pieces. The more surface area you expose to the heat, the faster the butter will melt. Place the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Butter melts between 82 and 97ºF (28–36ºC), which is about room temperature on a hot day. Turn the heat on low to avoid heating the butter too far past this point.
You can also melt butter using a double boiler. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Next, place small pieces of butter into a heat-safe bowl. Place the heat-safe bowl over the pot of boiling water (the steam from the boiling water will be the heat source that melts the butter). Stir until the butter is fully melted, then remove from the heat.
If you are using a microwave, cut your butter into small chunks and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 10-second increments in the microwave until it’s fully melted.
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Frequently asked questions
It is best to melt butter over low heat to avoid burning or smoking. Stir the butter regularly until it is about 3/4 melted, then remove it from the heat and let the remaining chunks melt.
The white flecks are the milk solids or fat component of butter. The liquid that separates from the solids contains a lot of water.
Butter is made of water, protein, and a high concentration of dairy fat or milk solids, which are very susceptible to burning. Butter has a low smoke point, which is why it burns easily at high temperatures.
The water in the butter will react with the water in the pan and cause an explosion. Always add butter to a dry pan on low heat.
