Why Pastry Chefs Prefer High-Quality Butter

French cuisine is famous for the supreme quality of its pastries, cakes and cookies, and much of this is down to the quality of French butters. Professional chefs rely on ingredients that are consistent and reliable, and this is why they insist on only using French butters to secure the guaranteed outcomes they need. And naturally, French butters will provide the same qualities for everyday bakers too, so why are French butters so much better for baking?

The most prominent characteristic of French butter is its high fat content. This is typically between 82-84%. This results in a richer flavour and a softer texture, but importantly, this allows a baker to work a dough at colder temperatures, meaning they can produce results much quicker, and before the butter warms up and melts. The result is a dough that is better for lamination and is more pliable for airy, textured pastries that need to be crisp and flaky, such as for croissants. The same quality assists a baker in making a pie crust, as the butter doesn’t get too warm when you mix it in.

The benefits of French butter for baking

So the main benefits of using French butter for baking are:

• High fat content – Butterfat content around 82% makes the butter more pliable at low temperatures, making it ideal for making delicate pastries, as well as crusts, cookies and cakes.
• Low water content – This means there is no steam produced in the baking process, and this leaves the results feeling light, crisp and textured, and prevents cakes and pastries feeling dense, soggy and heavy.
• Cultured – The fermentation process that French butters go through results in them being cultured, and this gives them a more complex flavour profile that is tangy rather than mild.
• AOP status – Most French butters have AOP status which means their quality can be guaranteed. AOP status means the butter comes from the same source and goes through the same production processes every time. This consistency of taste, texture and quality helps a professional chef who relies on the same characteristics every time, so they know what they are producing and don’t have to worry about quality.
• Seasonal menus – French butters have optimal periods in the calendar whereby quality is enhanced at different times of year. This enables professional chefs to change menus and design them to take advantage of these peak periods. Being able to elevate a pastry, cake or croissant enables chefs to maximise their craft to truly produce the best possible output.

If you are a professional chef or simply love baking in your own kitchen, using French butters will help you produce top quality results and will enable you to elevate what you bake in terms of taste, texture and aroma. So check out our range of French butters and give them a try today.