Cultured Butter

Ingredients

• 1 L double or heavy cream (Use high-fat cream; the approximate weight is for the listed 1-liter volume.)
• 100 g natural live yoghurt (Plain yoghurt containing live cultures.)
• salt (To taste.)
• 20 g fresh herbs (Optional, finely chopped, for compound butter.)

Steps

1. 1

   Combine the heavy cream and live yoghurt in a clean bowl, stirring until evenly blended. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth.

2. 2

   Leave the covered cream mixture at room temperature for 24–36 hours, until it has visibly thickened and tastes or smells pleasantly sour. It may develop a more complex, almost cheesy aroma as it cultures.

3. 3

   Chill the cultured cream for at least 4–5 hours, preferably overnight. Thorough chilling helps the fat separate effectively during churning.

4. 4

   Transfer the chilled cream to a stand mixer, or use a hand churn, whisk, or spoon. Churn continuously until the emulsion breaks and distinct yellow butter solids separate from the liquid cultured buttermilk.

5. 5

   Drain the buttermilk from the butter and reserve it for pancakes, baking, or marinades.

6. 6

   Place the butter in ice-cold water and knead it gently. Pour off the cloudy water, add fresh ice-cold water, and repeat until the water runs clear. Removing residual buttermilk helps the butter keep longer.

7. 7

   Add salt to taste and knead it through the butter. Shape the butter, then wrap it in greaseproof paper.

8. 8

   Refrigerate the finished butter, or freeze it for longer storage.

9. 9

   For optional compound butter, knead approximately 20 g finely chopped fresh herbs through the finished butter.

Notes

The recipe yields approximately 350–450 g butter, depending on the fat content of the cream and how thoroughly the butter is washed. The reserved cultured buttermilk is useful in pancakes, baking, and marinades. The author also suggests cooking the butter into brown butter for an especially punchy, savory result.

Nutrition per serving

• condiment
• fermented
• vegetarian
• gluten-free
• make-ahead
• no-cook
• dairy
• compound butter