I’m back after a couple of weeks off! I hope everyone had a great summer and enjoyed the last few days of it as we roll into fall. I have some great seasonal recipes planned, new partnerships to share with you, and a few big projects (finally) coming to fruition that I’ll be announcing over the coming weeks.

I have recently discovered the joy of making your own homemade butter, and I honestly couldn’t wait to share the process with you. This is so simple and makes the greatest tasting butter.

At this point, I think everyone is familiar with the joy I get from making really simple dishes and peasant foods. Whether it’s something as simple as Maroulosalata or my 15-year-long obsession with paella, and whether it’s quick or low-and-slow prep, this really is my comfort zone and happy place. Well, making homemade butter might be vying for the top spot. Super simple, one ingredient, and you can pretty much nail it in 15 minutes flat.

I love salted butter, but you can leave it unsalted. Flakey sea salt or kosher will do the trick, but feel free to experiment with a variety of combos to impress your guests–I left a few suggestions below after the recipe.

Oh and one last thing! This recipe not only produces about 385g of the most delicious butter you’ve ever had, but you also get about 750ml of fantastic buttermilk. Just strain it and store it in a mason jar in the fridge for 7-10 days. I’ve also included a modification to my Simple Baguettes recipe below as a suggestion if you’re wondering what to first make with it.

Let’s go!

Ingredients

* 1 L 35% cream (or 500 ml for a smaller batch)

* Kosher salt, to taste

Equipment

* Stand mixer with whisk and paddle attachments

* Clean work surface

* Parchment paper

Method

Step 1: Whip the Cream

* Fit the stand mixer with the whisk attachment.

* Pour in the cream and whip until it forms stiff peaks.

* I typically use speed setting #6 on my KitchenAid, but use your own discretion and whatever your model suggests

Step 2: Switch to the Paddle

* Change to the paddle attachment so the butter is easier to remove.

* Keep mixing (on speed setting #4) until the cream thickens, turns slightly yellow, and separates into butter solids and buttermilk.

* As soon as it separates, stop the mixer and set the bowl aside.

Step 3: Ice Water Bath

* In a mixing bowl or hotel pan, add two trays of ice and enough cold water to cover.

* This will act as a clean area to finish working with the butter and will also help firm it up so it’s easier to handle.

Step 4: Gather the Butter

* Collect all the butter solids from the mixer bowl, squeezing out as much buttermilk as you can directly into the bowl with the rest of the liquid.

* Once you’ve pressed out most of the buttermilk, transfer the butter ball into the ice water bath.

* Pour all of the buttermilk into a mason jar and refrigerate it for up to a week.

* Keep squeezing and folding the butter under the ice water until it firms up and more buttermilk is released. Discard the cloudy ice water.

Step 5: Season the Butter

* Remove the butter from the ice bath and place it on a clean work surface. Press it out into a flat disc.

* Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.

* Working fast, fold it over itself a few times to work the salt in and press out any last liquid.

Step 6: Shape and Chill

* Form the butter into a log or block.

* Wrap tightly in parchment and refrigerate until firm.

Enjoy however you want! Will keep in the fridge for a few weeks and in the freezer for a few months.

Try it with Buttermilk Baguettes

Don’t waste the buttermilk — bake with it. Pancakes and waffles are typically my go-to things to make, but lately I have been changing up my Simple Baguettes recipe by using a bit of buttermilk. Swapping 150 ml of the buttermilk for part of the water (use 150 ml buttermilk + 600 ml water instead of the usual 750 ml water). Everything else stays exactly the same. The result is an extra soft crumb and a super crispy crust that oddly has notes of popcorn. Of course, you want to use some of your freshly made butter and maybe a bit of honey.

Get Creative

Once you’ve mastered the base recipe, try adding different seasonings:

* Fresh rosemary and Himalayan pink salt

* Smoked salt (great over roasted potatoes)

* Garlic and finely diced dill (roll up and freeze for later)

* Cracked black pepper and lemon zest

* Chili flakes and a drizzle of honey

This is where you can really make it your own.

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