Butter has been the cornerstone of delicious baked goods, lending its rich flavour and unparalleled texture to pastries, breads and cookies alike. In industrial bakeries, the journey of butter from farm to finished product is a fascinating process that combines traditional craftsmanship with modern technology.
Lets explore how butter makes its way through the industrial baking process, ensuring that each bite is a taste of buttery perfection.
From dairy farm to butter production
At Lakeland Dairies the journey begins at one of our 3,200 farmers family dairy farms, where milk is collected. This milk is then transported to the creamery, where it is churned into high quality butter. High quality bakery butter typically comes from cream with a high butterfat content and higher level of saturated fat, which ensures a richer flavour and better for performance in baking.
The importance of quality butter in industrial bakeries
The correct choice of butter is crucial for industrial bakeries. High fat butter, contains around 82% butterfat, this higher butterfat content means less water and more fat resulting in superiour flavour, flakiness, and consistency in baked goods. Once produced, butter must be stored and transported under strict conditions to maintain its quality. It’s typically kept in consistent, cold temperatures to prevent melting and spoilage. When its time to bake, the butter is carefully measured and incorporated into the dough or batter, for pastries, cold pastires is often used to create a flaky texture, while room temperture butter may be used for other baked goods to ensure smooth and even mix.
Creating layers of perfection for laminated pastries like croissants, the butter is the star ingredient. The lamination process involves folding and rolling the dough with butter multiple times to create thin layers. Once the dough is prepared and shaped, it’s time to bake. The even distribution of dough ensures that as it bakes, the butter melts and reseases steam, creating light, flavoursome layers.
Next time you savor a delectable pastry from your favourite bakery, remember the journey that butter took to make it perfect. It’s the story of craftsmanship, technology, and most importantly, the love of baking.
