Why add salt?

Why do recipes call for unsalted butter, then tell you to add 1/2 tsp of salt? Why not just use an appropriate amount of salted butter with the unsalted?

In making these short breads, I find salt crystals that don't dissolve in the batter, and don't want it. I've tried adding the salt when mixing the sugar/butter and that helped, but still not perfect. I could dissolve the salt in the vanilla, but don't want to do that.

I've found a very fine salt but it's expensive, (the amount would be different) and I can't seem to crush my own fine enough.

Ideas?

Reply to
baker1
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Unsalted butter is called for because: a) you cannot control the amount of salt in salted butter (you don't know how much salt not to use to offset the salt in the butter). b) salt added to butter can be used to mask "off" flavors in the butter

I use sea salt in my baking (...I can't think of the brand right now...) and I don't think that I've ever had salt crystals that had not dissolved.

Jim Lahue

Reply to
Jim Lahue

I agree with the statements about the butter. Unsalted butter is nearly always a superior tasting product within a line from the same manufacturer. Since butter is often a major contributor to the flavor of baked goods, you want to use the best butter available. As for the salt - pickling salt is very fine and not at all expensive. I'm sure that someone will know the conversion factor for various types of salt. If you weigh your ingredients, then there would be no conversion needed. Salt is primarily for flavor in most recipes, so use your discretion.

Reply to
Vox Humana

I hear what you folks are saying, makes sense. I use Lurpak, a great imported butter...both their salted and unsalted. I also use Sea Salt fine but those darn crystals keep in tact. I'll look for the superfine and use the weight system...good idea. Thx

Reply to
baker1

Why not just use an appropriate amount of salted butter with

Why would you use both unsalted butter instead than combining two kinds of butter? That would be an added expense. Whenever I use butter in bakery and confectionery cookery I never bother to use salted butter , rather I add salt in the recipe instead.

Generally salted butter melts faster than unsalted as salt has some sort of melting point depression effect. So unsalted butter is more pliable than salted butter and that what makes it suitable for laminated pastries and in many baking applications. If you cream salted butter with sugar it tends to soften faster than unsalted butter. so the resulting cream will have less incorporated air bubbles than if the unsalted butter is used and there is a difference in the resulting cream specific gravity which can influence the cake quality .

Reply to
chembake

Well that certainly is some interesting information. Never thought about it that way. Thx

Reply to
baker1

I must be missing something here but I use table salt in most baking and have never had any problems.

If you are adding sufficient liquid you can dissolve the salt in some of the liquid first.

The salt is a flavor enhancer and the unsalted butter allows you to control just how much salt is actually used.

Reply to
marks542004

I have never used salted butter in any of my cooking I have always adde

the salt myself as you can c> Why do recipes call for unsalted butter, then tell you to add 1/2 tsp

-- johannap73

Reply to
johannap73
  1. Salt is actually required by the yeast as a control agent in most formula used for bread. While milk, butter, sugar, etc., may not be needed, salt is. As for using salted butter, one can, but the amount of salt in the butter varies by jurisdiction and dairy, so you then do not know how much salt you are using.

  1. If you use it a lot, you can make a salt solution with x amount of salt and y amount of water, heated to dissolve the salt, then cooled. Figure out the amount of salt per mL or liquid ounce and go accordingly in your recipes.

  2. Take your favourite electric coffee/spice mill, pour a bit of salt in it and grind it to a fine powder if you want miniscule particles of salt to use. Then use WEIGHT as the volume will be far smaller than before and you will overdo the salt if you do not switch.

  1. Every recipe uses some form of liquid, including shortbreads. If you have ground the salt fine as in 3 above, you can incorporate the salt in the liquid before using it and let it sit a while so that the salt dissolves - time counts ...

RsH

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Reply to
retzofrex

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