How To Know When To Bake With Salted Vs Unsalted Butter

Butter is one of the most common baking ingredients and is also considered to be a staple in everyday cooking. From baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies to spreading on toast with jam, having butter on hand is essential. It adds tenderness to baked goods and richness to savory recipes. But when shopping for this ingredient, you're typically presented with two different options: salted and unsalted. Which one should you pick?

The broad difference between the two is true to the names: one contains salt white the other one remains unsalted. For baking, most recipes call for unsalted. But why should you reach for this particular butter variety when putting together your next b aked treat? Using unsalted butter allows you to more precisely control the amount of salt added to the recipe instead of relying solely on salt in the butter. Plus, when you buy salted butter, it's hard to know exactly how much salt is in the stick. Since there is no industry standard, different butter brands will vary, a state of affairs that can ultimately cause your baked goods to vary in taste — perhaps unpleasantly so. 

If you're searching for the best butter brands in the store to eat slathered on toast, lobster, or corn on the cob, then you'll want a brand that is creamy, rich and — yes — salted. When butter is the main attraction, or at least a major topping, it's often preferred in salted form. But when it comes to baking, unsalted is the only way to go. In baking, butter adds flavor, tenderness, and structure to your favorite cookies and cakes. If you use salted butter, you might stand the risk of chomping into an overly salty baked good. And when baking, you surely know that precision — especially when measuring ingredients — is key.

By opting for unsalted butter, you also give yourself the option to sprinkle flaky sea salt on top for a finishing touch that lends a sophisticated look and taste to your baked goods. With total control over the saltiness of your baked goods, you can turn to Ina Garten's favorite salt to use here and in other recipes. Just keep it out of the butter.