Making Cultured Butter at Home
Cultured butter is made by fermenting heavy cream with a bacterial starter before churning it into butter. The process requires letting cream sit at room temperature with a splash of buttermilk, then agitating it until the fat separates from the liquid, resulting in a product with a sharp, complex edge and a firmer texture than sweet cream butter.
Patience is your primary ingredient.
The flavor develops during the 24-hour culturing stage; if you rush this, the butter will lack its characteristic tang.
- Glass jar with lid
- Stand mixer or food processor
- Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
- Large bowl for ice water
What goes in.
- 1 quartHeavy cream (high fat content, no stabilizers)
- 2 tbspActive cultured buttermilk
- 1/2 tspFine sea salt (optional)
Controlled Acidification
Keep the cream mixture in a warm spot, around 70-75°F. The acidity builds slowly, changing the cream from sweet to slightly sour, which provides the foundation for the final flavor.
The method.
Culture the cream
Combine the cream and buttermilk in a clean glass jar. Cover loosely and leave it at room temperature for 24 hours. The mixture should thicken slightly and smell mildly sour.
Chill the cream
Refrigerate the cultured cream for at least 2 hours. Cold fat churns into butter; warm fat merely turns into whipped cream.
Churn
Pour the cream into a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed. The cream will thicken, then form whipped cream, then suddenly break into yellow clumps of butter floating in thin, translucent liquid.
Drain and wash
Pour the contents through a strainer to catch the butter. Return the solids to the bowl, add cold water, and knead the butter with a spatula or your hands to press out the remaining buttermilk. Repeat until the water runs clear.
Finish
Drain the final wash, fold in the salt if using, and pack the butter into a jar or parchment paper. Refrigerate to set.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use cream with the highest butterfat percentage you can find to increase your yield.
The liquid remaining after churning is fresh buttermilk, which is ideal for baking.
If the butter stays soft during the washing phase, rinse it with ice-cold water to keep the fat granules firm.
The ones that keep coming up.
How long does this keep?
Because it contains live cultures and less water than commercial butter, it will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about two weeks.
Why did my cream turn into whipped cream and stop?
The cream was likely too warm. Chill the bowl and the whisk attachment in the freezer for 15 minutes, then try again.