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83% Butterfat Butter: Why It’s The Best Butter for Pastry

To master the art of world-class pastry, the magic lies in the details. Perfecting the dough, balancing flavors, and achieving that coveted flaky texture all hinge on one key ingredient: butter.

But not just any butter will do!

Ask any professional pastry chef, and they’ll tell you the secret to exceptional pastries is European-style butter with a fat content above 80%—the sweet spot is around 83% butterfat. 

WHAT SETS 83% BUTTERFAT APART?

All butter is made from cream, but the differences between varieties come down to composition. Standard American butter contains about 80% butterfat, with the remaining 20% made up of water and milk solids. While that ratio works well for everyday cooking and spreading, it falls short in the pastry world.

Enter 83% butterfat butter, a French butter tradition and the gold standard for pastry chefs. With its higher fat content, the butter offers: 

RICH, LUXURIOUS FLAVOR

With 83% butterfat butter, you’ll get a more concentrated buttery taste. This also has to do with how French butter is cultured — a process that adds beneficial bacteria to the cream and allows it to ferment before churning.

Whether it’s a tart crust, brioche, or delicate shortbread cookie, the richness of this butter shines through, elevating even the simplest recipes.

LESS WATER FOR BETTER LAMINATION

The high fat content minimizes water, which can disrupt the dough and lead to soggy or uneven results. The reduced water content means less gluten development in your dough, leading to tender, melt-in-your-mouth pastries. 

CONSISTENT PLIABILITY AND PERFORMANCE

Pastry is an exacting art, and consistency is key. With its uniform fat content, 83% butterfat butter ensures reliable results, batch after batch. This is especially important for professional kitchens, where precision and quality are non-negotiable.

ENHANCED TEXTURE

The hallmark of a great croissant or pain au chocolat is its flaky, airy structure. Achieving this requires butter that can hold its shape during the lamination process, where dough and butter are folded together to create thin, crispy layers that puff beautifully in the oven.

HIGH HEAT TOLERANCE

Have you ever dealt with butter that melts too fast, leaving you with greasy dough and tears of frustration? Not with 83% butterfat butter. Its high fat content makes it more stable at higher temperatures, so it doesn’t break down during baking.

APPLICATIONS WHERE 83% BUTTERFAT BUTTER SHINES

  • Laminated doughs like croissants, puff pastry, and danishes. Beurre de tourage (French sheet butter) makes the lamination process smooth and stress-free.
  • Tarts and pie crust
  • Shortbread and cookies
  • Brioche and enriched dough
  • Pastry cream, fillings, mousses, and frostings (for added creaminess and depth)

FROM THE PROS: TIPS FOR WORKING FOR 83% BUTTERFAT BUTTER

High-quality butter can transform your pastries, but it also requires a bit of finesse to maximize its potential. Follow these tips from our chefs to get the best results:

  • Keep It Cool: This butter softens quickly, so work in a cool environment, and don’t be shy about popping it back into the fridge if things get too warm.
  • Adjust Liquids: Less water in the butter means you might need to tweak liquid measurements in your recipes.
  • Handle with Care: Gentle handling is key to flaky pastry. Avoid overworking the gluten — let the butter do the heavy lifting.

LIFE’S TOO SHORT FOR MEDIOCRE PASTRY

For those who take pastry seriously, 83% butterfat butter is non-negotiable. It’s the secret behind the flakiness, the flavor, the texture, and the magic that turns good baking into unforgettable artistry. 

Stock your kitchen with Beurremont’s European-style, 83% butterfat butter and see (and taste) the difference for yourself! Available in bulk, print, roll, and sheet (beurre de tourage) varieties.

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