Let’s cut the fat. I don’t expect a million (or even any!) comments on this post, and some of you may wonder why I’m dedicating a day to the subject, and are frowning because there’s not a fun new recipe up, but properly cutting in butter or shortening is crucial in making crusts, pastries, biscuits and so much more. This blog is about learning tips and techniques in order to make better food, so this is one of those posts! I’ve had several people ask me what “cutting in” really means and I once had someone ask if it was okay to just melt the butter in because it was easier. Answer: No!
When you read in a recipe that you need to “cut in” butter or shortening, it’s a way to combine the flour and dry ingredients with the fat as quickly as possible. The purpose is to create evenly sized pieces of butter, coated with flour and evenly distributed throughout. When these little pieces of butter melt, they create layers of flakiness. In some recipes it’s the little pockets of steam that are important. Recipes will normally indicate the size of the fat pieces- small peas, coarse crumbs, etc. Paying attention to that size will impact your final product as well.
Here’s some basic rules you’ll want to follow:
1. Make sure the butter is COLD. I’m talking straight from the fridge cold. Even frozen is okay. You’ll want to take it out of the fridge right as you need it, and not before.
2. Cut the butter into small pieces first and then toss them separately into the flour making sure they each get covered in flour before you start “cutting”
There’s several ways to actually cut in the butter.
1. A Pastry Blender. This is my preferred method. It’s a tool made specifically for this purpose. It’s inexpensive and does the job both quickly and efficiently. You can also use it for lots of other things, including smashing potatoes, avocados, and bananas. Never seen one? It’s the tool used in the picture above. Maybe you even have one and didn’t know what it was!
2. Two Knives. Just move the knives in opposite directions actually cutting the butter or shortening. Also, a fork works.
3. Your Fingers. Just break the butter up with your fingers, while it’s in the flour. You do however have to be careful using your fingers because your body heat will warm up the butter and melt it a bit. But it works.
4. A Food Processor. Still pre-cut the butter into small pieces, and then pulse in processor until it’s the proper size.
5. Electric Mixer. And electric hand or stand mixer can actually work well too. You just have to be really careful that you don’t OVER mix. You still want butter in small pieces.
Want an excuse to practice?? Who doesn’t?
Let’s cut the fat. I don’t expect a million (or even any!) comments on this post, and some of you may wonder why I’m dedicating a day to the subject, and are frowning because there’s not a fun new recipe up, but properly cutting in butter or shortening is crucial in making crusts, pastries, biscuits and so much more. This blog is about learning tips and techniques in order to make better food, so this is one of those posts! I’ve had several people ask me what “cutting in” really means and I once had someone ask if it was okay to just melt the butter in because it was easier. Answer: No!
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Single Serving Pie in a Jar
YAY CUTTING BUTTER!!!! Let this be the first of your million comments!
haha, thanks Bec ;) I know this is one of my most exciting posts EVER!
It *IS* exciting!! lol I need to learn everything I can get!
See? It’s for people like Pyper ;)
…thanks for the blog..this is awesome…
but i do have a question and it applies to butter and desserts, so this kinda counts, right?
so i’ve gotten some recipes from my mom where she SWEARS it’s not the same if you use salted butter (meaning the secret ingredient is the UNsalted butter, like her dalmation brownies {not to be confused with blondies!}). …and other recipes it just doesn’t matter. are there any guidelines to follow? or is it just kind of trial and error? i haven’t been able to discern a pattern myself…
a.,
I actually get asked this question a lot.
Generally the rule of thumb is to use salted butter *unless* the recipe specifically calls for unsalted. Professional chefs will often use unsalted (especially in baking)because you can then better control the salt content in a recipe, but for basic every day recipe-following, you should be safe with salted unless it states otherwise. Most recipes take the salt in the butter into account when calling for additional salt.
[...] notes: Cutting butter into batter (tongue-twister?) is a pain in the butt. According to my butter-cutting resource, the process helps spread out the fat in the dough, so when they melt, they create “layers of [...]
Thanks so much! this is really awesome and it helped me a lot :D
[...] never cut in butter before, read this super informative post written by Sarah and Kate over at Our Best Bitesthat shows you exactly how!) Set aside a third of the mixture for topping. Press remaining [...]
Lifesaver! Or should I say biscuit-saver! You don’t know how much this tip improved my biscuits. Thanks so much!
A well-deserved second place on Google for “cut in butter”. Now I not only know what it means, I know what a pastry blender is too. (Turns out we have one!)
I found it as the second hit on google, too. Very informative. Thanks for posting. I’d never realized how important it was to keep the butter cold.
[...] “Cut” in the COLD butter using two forks or whatever technique works best for you. You want the flour to take on a crumbly consistency. Don’t overwork it, you don’t want the butter to warm. [...]
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Thank you for your ‘basic’ post. I am learning to make bread and pastries and didn’t understand why cutting in was so important or that the butter needed to be cold. (Oh, and you were the first hit in my Google search.) :)
Really great explanation, besides good instructions! I’m teaching some girls how to make tart crusts this week and I’m going to print out your cutting in instructions for them because they’re just right! Way to go!
[...] In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, & salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like [...]