Using butter or margarine?

Butter and margarine are basic ingredients in many recipes and fridges, but their use during baking varies. Each ingredient has its own role to play, so understanding when to use butter and when to use margarine is very important and also makes it easier to choose what to use.

1. What is butter anyway and why is its use in baking so important?

Butter is a dairy product made from cream. It has a rich, creamy taste that is difficult to obtain with any other ingredient. Butter contributes to the baking of pies, cakes and other desserts by creating a soft and crumbly texture.

Another important property of butter is that the water content of butter creates steam during the baking process, which helps to lift the dough and thus create a lighter texture. However, because of the sturcture, butter can burn at high temperatures. This is why even more care should be taken when heating butter, as burnt butter spoils the taste. Burnt butter adds a bitter taste, which is certainly not what we want.

Usually recipes call for softened butter or butter at room temperature. We''ve put together a few tricks and tips on how to soften butter quickly. The tricks are waiting for you here.

2. What about margarine, is it still used during baking?

Margarine is a food made from vegetable oils, often with the addition of water, salt, emulsifiers and flavourings. Unlike butter, margarine has a neutral taste and can tolerate high temperatures more easily, making it a better choice when a recipe calls for baking at high temperatures.

In addition, margarine is often used as a butter substitute in recipes that call for a large amount of butter, as it can help to reduce the fat content of baked goods without losing flavour.

One of the biggest advantages of using margarine in baking is its consistency. Unlike butter, which can soften and melt at room temperature, margarine remains solid and is easy to handle even in a warm environment.

However, margarine also has some drawbacks when it comes to baking. For a start, because margarine does not contain milk, it does not have the rich, creamy taste of butter. In addition, the emulsifiers in margarine can affect the texture of baked products, making them less soft. The high water content of margarine can make baked goods less crisp and golden brown, especially in recipes that call for a lot of margarine.

3. So when to choose butter and when to choose margarine?

When using ingredients during baking, the choice between butter and margarine often depends on personal preference and the specific requirements of the recipe. Some recipes are written to place more emphasis on the flavour and texture provided by butter, while others prefer the stability and convenience of margarine.

In some recipes it is possible to use a combination of butter and margarine to get the best of both worlds. For example, using half butter and half margarine in a pastry recipe can provide the soft and flaky texture of butter and the stability of margarine.

Understanding the differences between butter and margarine in baking is essential to achieve the desired results in recipes. Whether you prefer the rich, creamy flavour of butter or the stability and convenience of margarine, each ingredient has its own advantages and disadvantages and it is up to you to choose the one that best suits your needs. Remember to always stick as closely as possible to the recipe and adapt it as necessary to your personal preferences and the specific requirements of your pastry.