Recipes

[Kachina624]

 @cjm61 

@Sooner

@Puzzle Piece 

@Sooner 

@JeanLouiseFinch 

@LavernLuvsShoes 

@Ainhisg 

 I use to think the same, what difference does it make. Well, I was making homemade white frosting and it said DO NOT use salted butter because it will cause the frosting to be salty. I kind of smirked and said no biggie. I only had salted butter and really, what difference could it make!

Yikes, holy cow, the frosting DID taste salty, too salty. So now I always use salted unless the recipe specifically says use unsalted. There is a reason for it. 

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@cjm61

Per Google:

Unsalted butter is preferred in baking because it allows bakers to precisely control the amount of salt in their recipe, as the salt content in salted butter can vary significantly between brands, ensuring a consistent flavor profile in the final baked good; essentially, you can add exactly the right amount of salt to suit your recipe instead of relying on the unknown salt level in salted butter. 

[Zhills]

I can tell a difference in making cookies!   Honestly, I like the salted better!

[Sooner]

@Kachina624 Just had this discussion with my husband today.  It is interesting that now you are supposed to weigh everything and put things in the bread maker in certain layers (we do always put in liquid first).

We use a measuring cup and just put the ingredients in the machine and our bread comes out fine and the same every time.  We make biscuits without measuring--just like the biscuit old-time makers do.  

I must say I used to cook and bake all the time and I've never had a problem with salted butter.  Not saying others here are wrong, but saying in my world it never made any difference.  And I've made homemade breads, cakes (my specialty is Angel food), pasta, cinnamon rolls, and even fillo/phyllo/puff pastry dough by hand. 

Just my own experience here noting that I really see no difference using salted butter. 

[Sooner]

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@jlkz wrote:

@Sooner

With all the heart medications DH is on, salt is a No-No.  he has to weigh each morning to main his weight within one pound.

He was hospitalized for severe shortness of breath, put on intravenous Lasix ( Furosimide ), wore a full head oxygen mask, and lost 15 lbs. of fluid in a day....

This is a fellow who watches his salt intake, reads labels when he grocery shops, and cooks without salt.

Salt is a major issue and why I make huge batches of marinara sauce for soup and pizza sauce.  This has been a way of life for 20+ years.

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@jlkz Of course as I said, this is one of the real and important exceptions. 

[Puggywuggy]

I am always low on sodium and I prefer baked goods to be sweet & slightly salty so I use salted butter.

[shoptilyadropagain]

I'm not a baker so I only buy salted butter.  

[wagirl]

I buy both--use insalted for baking/cooking and salted on my toast and such.Yes it does make a difference----

[Moonlady]

I've been baking since I was 12 or so, and have never used unsalted butter--nor have I ever adjusted a recipe that called for it.

[IamDoodles]

Martha Stewart, Ina Garten and most professional chefs use unsalted butter.   Unless a recipe says to specifically use salted, I go with the unsalted.

[Patriot3]

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@LavernLuvsShoes wrote:

Always Salted...

I've never understood why a recipe calls for "unsalted" butter, then it requires one to add "salt." 

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@LavernLuvsShoesI never understood that either.  My Mom always used salted butter and she was the best cook ever.  Even in baking, I use salted and never had any bad results.