Homemade Butter
Making rich, creamy butter at home is so much easier than you think! Once you know how to make butter, you’ll find yourself making it every week and flavoring it in a hundred different ways.
Servings 16
Ingredients
- 16 ounces heavy cream
- Sea salt to taste usually anywhere from ¼ to ½ teaspoon, optional
Instructions
In a stand mixer:
- Pour the cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute. Once the cream starts to thicken, increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating.
- After about 5 minutes, the cream will start to separate. Continue beating until the butter and the buttermilk have fully separated. You may want to drape a tea towel over the mixer to keep the buttermilk from splashing onto you during the last couple of minutes.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, strain off the liquid.
- Place the butter in a clean bowl and cover with cold water. Use a spatula or your hands to knead the butter, pressing out any remaining buttermilk. Repeat this process until the water is clear.
- Place the butter on a plate and, if desired, stir in the salt.
Using an electric hand mixer:
- Pour the cream into a large mixing bowl. Using your electric hand mixer, beat at medium-high speed until cream starts to separate, about 10 minutes
- Continue beating until the butter and the buttermilk have fully separated. You may want to drape a tea towel over the top of your hands and the edges of the bowl to keep the buttermilk from splashing onto you during the last couple of minutes.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, strain off the liquid.
- Place the butter in a clean bowl and cover with cold water. Use a spatula or your hands to knead the butter, pressing out any remaining buttermilk. Repeat this process until the water is clear.
- Place the butter on a plate and, if desired, stir in the salt.
In a food processor:
- Pour the cream into the bowl of a food processor. Process on high speed until the butter and buttermilk separate, about 5 minutes.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, strain off the liquid.
- Place the butter in a clean bowl and cover with cold water. Use a spatula or your hands to knead the butter, pressing out any remaining buttermilk. Repeat this process until the water is clear.
- Place the butter on a plate and, if desired, stir in the salt.
Notes
1 pint (16 ounces) of cream will yield around 1 cup of butter.
Store wrapped in waxed paper or in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Fresh buttermilk is the liquid byproduct of making butter. Feel free to save it to use in another recipe.
Washing the butter in cold water is not strictly necessary, but will help the butter to last longer in the refrigerator. If you want to skip this step, simply strain off the buttermilk and press the butter with a spatula while in the strainer to remove some of the excess buttermilk before seasoning.