Melt the butter on the stove if you want the butter to be perfectly smooth and even or if your recipe calls for browning. But if you want to save time, use a microwave oven; but follow the instructions here to avoid heating too quickly and unevenly. Finally, if you just want to soften frozen butter that is stored in the refrigerator or freezer, there are many options available. Please read on to find out how.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Melting or Browning Butter on the Stove
Step 1. Cut the butter
Cut the butter into cubes or medium pieces so that the heat doesn't take too long to get to the center of the butter pieces and melt them. The more surface area the butter has in contact with the heat, the faster the butter will melt.
You don't have to look around for the right size. Just make sure the pieces are fairly small and uniform, or try cutting 1 slice of butter lengthwise into four or five pieces
Step 2. Place the butter chunks in a thick skillet or double-boiling pan if possible
A skillet with a thick bottom will distribute heat more evenly than a thin pan. This will help minimize the chance of the butter burning by melting each portion of the butter at the same rate. Double-boiling pans are safer for melting butter. And after all, a light skillet will produce a more even distribution of melted butter than a microwave.
You can make your own double-boiling pan by stacking two pots of different sizes
Step 3. Heat the butter on low heat
The butter melts between 28-36ºC which can be around room temperature on a hot day. Turn the burner knob to low heat to avoid heating the butter too far past this temperature, which can cause the butter to burn or smoke..
Step 4. Watch until 3/4 of the butter is melted
The heat must be kept low enough for the butter to melt without browning. Use a spoon or spatula to stir and spread the butter as it melts.
Step 5. Remove from stove and stir
Turn off the heat or transfer the skillet to another burnt, unused stove stand, and stir in the melted butter. The butter is melted and the surface of the pan around the unmelted butter solids is still hot enough to melt any remaining unmelted butter. This method carries a much less risk of scorching than keeping the butter on the stove to melt the rest until it's completely melted.
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Return to the heat for thirty seconds if there are still chunks of butter that are still solid after the stirring process.
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Step 6. If this recipe that will use butter calls for browning, heat it until it turns brown
You don't need to brown your butter unless the recipe specifies browning butter. If browning is required, keep the heat low and stir in the butter continuously on a gentle motion. The butter will then foam and will form brown spots. Once you see these spots, remove the pan from the heat and stir until the butter turns golden brown, then pour it into a plate at room temperature.
Method 2 of 3: Melt Butter in the Microwave
Step 1. Cut the butter into medium pieces
The microwave will heat the butter from the outside in, so cut the butter into pieces to increase the surface area of the butter that comes into contact with the heat. This will reduce uneven heating, although you still can't expect perfectly even heating in the microwave.
Step 2. Cover the bowl of butter with paper or a microwave-proof lid
Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or container, then cover with paper. Butter may splatter during the rapid defrosting of the microwave. This paper cover will protect the inside of the microwave from these splashes.
Step 3. Heat the butter for 10 seconds on low or defrost
Microwave ovens melt butter much faster than stovetops, but they are also more prone to scorch, butter splitting, or other problems. Start gently warming the butter by setting the microwave to "low" or "defrost" if possible, then microwave the butter for 10 seconds.
Step 4. Stir and check the progress
It's likely that the butter hasn't melted by now, but because it melts at a relatively low temperature, another 10 second interval can make a dramatic difference. After 10 seconds, turn off the microwave and remove the butter. Stir the butter evenly to distribute the heat and see if there are still large chunks of butter that haven't melted.
Notes: Remember, take a spoon or stirrer before returning the bowl to the microwave.
Step 5. Repeat this process until most of the butter is melted
Replace the foil and heat the butter in the microwave for a second ten seconds, or five seconds if the butter is almost completely melted. Keep checking the melting progress until only small chunks of butter remain. Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave as it may be hot.
Step 6. Stir to melt the remaining pieces of butter
The remaining bits of butter can be melted with the remaining heat. Stir in butter until completely golden (not solid yellow) and melted.
Melted butter that has separated bubbles of oil or a white residue on the surface indicates the butter has been heated in the microwave for too long. This kind of butter can still be used for sautéing or adding flavor to savory dishes, but it can negatively affect the texture of baked goods such as cakes
Method 3 of 3: Soften Butter
Step 1. Know how to tell when butter is soft
Unless the recipe gives a specific description of the desired texture of the butter, butter is considered soft or creamy when it is around room temperature. This butter will be easy to scoop out with a spoon, but will still retain its shape if left unattended.
Step 2. Cut the butter before softening
There are several common methods of softening butter which are described below. However, for one of these methods, the butter will soften faster if you cut it into small cubes first.
Step 3. Leave the butter on the counter near the oven
If the butter isn't frozen and the room is warm, the small pieces of butter may only take a few minutes to soften. This will be especially convenient if you have an oven nearby, or if the top of the oven tends to stay warm due to the pilot light.
Do not place butter directly on a warm oven, unless the butter is frozen. Watch the butter if it's placed in a hot place to make sure it doesn't melt as that can happen quickly
Step 4. Soften the butter faster by pounding or beating it
To speed up the softening process, use an electric mixer, or use these tips to easily mash butter by hand: Place the butter in a ziplock-sealed bag and remove most of the air from the plastic bag. Using a hand kneading grinder or other heavy object such as a bottle, roll or mash the butter repeatedly. After a few minutes, the butter should feel significantly softer, with no signs of melting.
In addition to a ziplock plastic bag, you can put butter between two sheets of parchment paper or parchment paper
Step 5. Place a container or plastic bag filled with butter into a container of warm water
Fill a large bowl half full with warm water, avoiding steaming hot water. Put the butter in a ziplock plastic bag or small bowl, then place in a bowl of hot water. Do not let the butter come into contact with the water. Watch the butter closely and squeeze the butter every now and then to check for texture, as this method will only take a few minutes to soften the refrigerated butter.
Step 6. Soften the frozen butter quickly by grating it
If you can't wait for the frozen butter to melt, grate the butter using a large, coarse grater. The grated butter will warm to temperature and soften in a few minutes in a warm room.
Tips
- If you often use butter to fry food at high temperatures, or you want to extend its shelf life, consider clearing the butter by heating melted butter until it foams. Clarified butter is more resistant to heating at high temperatures and less smoky than regular butter, but has less flavor.
- Choosing unsalted butter instead of salted butter will help you better control how much sodium/salt is added to your cooking. This is especially important if you have high blood pressure or are on a low sodium diet.
