Which Is Better For Baking?

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You know that great baked goods start with great ingredients, and you want to make the best choices possible when you’re buying baking supplies. Sometimes, however, it can be tough to know what’s best, especially when two products seem so similar that it’s hard to understand the actual difference between them. European and American butter are both typically dairy-based, but one clearly reigns supreme when it comes to creating stellar pie crusts, buttercream frostings, and pastry crusts. Trew Sterling, executive pastry chef at Pastis Miami, spoke exclusively with Chowhound about whether it makes more sense to use American or European butter in your home kitchen.

“I always recommend European-style butter. It’s typically higher quality and often comes from single-source dairies,” says Sterling. “Many European producers work with specific farmers and even specific breeds of cows, which results in a richer, more consistent product.” While European butter is generally the best choice for baked goods, you can take it a step further and choose the best of the best; according to Sterling, “France produces some of the best butter in the world.” The quality of the cream used by French dairy product producers helps elevate French butter to an even higher level than the other fantastic butters in Europe.

How butter affects your baked goods

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While European butter is typically more expensive, it’s often well worth the extra cash if you can swing it. The reason why European butter can take your baked goods to the next level all comes down to its higher fat content (restaurants often use butter with a higher fat content, leading to better-tasting results). “European butters have a higher fat content and lower moisture, which leads to flakier pastry doughs, more tender cakes, and smoother, richer creams, mousses, and buttercreams,” says Trew Sterling.

If you can’t get your hands on European butter, or you aren’t willing to shell out the dough, all hope isn’t lost: “If you’re in a pinch, American-style butter works just fine in cookies, brownies, or simple cakes.” That being said, if you’re used to using European butter and make the switch to American-style, you may notice a less-rich flavor. American butter is only required to have 80% butterfat, while European law requires a butterfat content of at least 82% (you can look at the label on butter at the grocery store to see its butterfat content). While the difference may seem slight, the bit of additional fat can take your baked goods from so-so to unforgettable.