April 29, 2020 - 1:37pm
The Power of Butter
My wife has been having a spot of indigestion lately, so I thought I would make a batch of bread with a softer crumb than my usual style to see if it helped.
All I did was to incorporate 3% butter into the dough after gluten development and the transformation in the crumb was spectacular.
It was indeed much softer and pliable. The crust was also softer - no crunchy crispy one on this loaf! On the down side, the ears were pretty poor, but maybe this goes with the territory.
So, not an ingredient I would add too often, but interesting in its effect for a relatively small amount.
Here's the crumb shot:
And this is a typical (non related) bake of mine, admittedly with less whole grain and no butter:
Lance
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You will get no cries of sacrilege from me. I have considered smearing the crust with butter after it comes out of the oven to soften it. I see many recipes that advise working it in at the end of kneading and others that pour melted butter in at the start of the mix. I wish these people would get their stories straight.
One more question, salted or unsalted butter?
Well I didn't realise that butter could be sacrilegious! I used unsalted, as it's the only one we tend to buy - it keeps inventory simpler.
The kids can't understand it when they come - they think bread should have salted butter on it. Our use of unsalted is historical, I suppose, when unsalted was considered better, because it was fresher, without the salt to help preserve it. I'm old enough (unfortunately) to remember when butter in the UK was often referred to as "best butter". I never did find any worst butter for sale though.
Lance
I have a few recipes that call for (both) butter in the dough & melted butter to be brushed on, when fresh out of the oven; and one recipe that calls for olive oil to be brushed on. The crusts are lovely & tender. I usually save these enriched breads for the holidays. I have a sweet potato bread that is to die for, the day after Thanksgiving, with some smoked turkey & a little cranberry sauce on it.
I use olive oil in my recipies. Theres nothing quite like it IMO. Soft bread and crusts, perfect for sarnies.