Salted Butter
Solid dairy fat with added salt, ideal for spreading, pan-frying, and general culinary applications.
1 Stick Salted Butter = 113g • Contains ~1/3 Tsp Salt per stick
Salted butter is sweet cream butter that has been blended with fine salt during the churning process. The added salt content typically ranges from 1.5% to 2.5% of the butter's total weight, which equals roughly 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt per stick (113 grams). Historically, salt was added to butter to act as a natural preservative, extending its shelf life before the invention of refrigeration. Today, salted butter is favored for its rich flavor and is primarily used as a table spread, for melting over vegetables, or for pan-searing meats and seafood.
In baking, salted butter can be used, but it introduces variables. Because different dairy brands add different percentages of salt to their butter, using salted butter makes it difficult to know exactly how much sodium is in your dough. For cookies and quick breads, this is rarely an issue, but for yeast breads and delicate pastries, excess salt can inhibit yeast activity and yield an overly salty flavor profile.
Using salted butter in delicate sweet frostings or buttercreams. The salt flavor becomes concentrated and clashes with the powdered sugar, leaving a savory taste.
Salt levels in US butter average 1.5%, while UK and European salted butters can range higher, up to 2% sodium content.
Ideal for spreading on toast, melting over hot vegetables, pan-frying meats, and in rustic baked goods like chocolate chip cookies.
Replace 1 cup salted butter with 1 cup unsalted butter + 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt.
Can be stored at room temperature in a butter crock for up to 2 weeks, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 months.
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