Why Pastry Chefs Prefer High-Quality Butter

European-style butter is characterised by having a higher butterfat content than regular butter. This is typically a minimum of 82-85% fat content, compared to a minimum of 80% fat content. This makes a considerable difference in baking because there is less water in a European-style butter, and this is replaced by butterfat and milk solids. For all kinds of baking, a higher fat content provides a unique taste but also has a positive impact on stability and texture, but this is particularly pronounced when it comes to pastries.

What makes European-style butter ideal for pastries?

The reduced water content in European-style butter is the key to elevating pastries such as croissants, pain au chocolats, éclairs, macarons and mille-feuille. Water produces steam in the oven which is evaporated and allows the layers of pastry to lift, and to become crisp, light and flaky. If there is too much water content in the butter this process won’t work, and the resulting pastries will be soggy, dense and flat. A higher water content also leads to shrinking, and the products becoming smaller in the oven. By using higher-fat content butter with reduced water content, the resulting pastries will hold their shape and form better in the oven.

A higher butterfat content also helps the lamination of pastries, in that the butter stays firm and doesn’t melt too quickly when being worked, which helps to create the good layering you need for lamination as it is more pliable and creates more distinct, crispy layers. European-style butter also carries more natural flavour because of this high fat content. This produces a richer and tangier taste, which is fuller and creamier and which is ideal for pastries where the pastry itself is the star ingredient, such as for croissants.  

Tips for making better pastries with European-style butter

In order to produce the richer flavour and lighter texture you want in French pastries, you would need to:

• Be careful with temperatures – pre-chill the dough thoroughly before baking in the oven, because the European-style butter melts faster, due to the fat content, and you need it to stay solid for longer so that the layers don’t melt together.
• Be careful with mixing your dough – The higher fat content produces gluten, which tends to create a tough dough if you don’t work it enough. So make sure the dough is well mixed.  
• Keep chilling and take your time – This is a long process because after every fold of a laminated dough, you should rest the dough in a fridge to make sure the butter stays firm.
• Unsalted butter – By using unsalted butter you are maintaining complete control over flavour, and therefore can add salt as needed to make sure the resulting pastry tastes exactly how you want it.

European-style butter is ideal for pastries because it elevates the product and produces a unique pastry in terms of taste, texture and stability.