A warm welcome to your favorite baking and dessert blog, where we elevate every day into an unforgettable experience! If you are here to get right into the lard vs butter in baking, then I suggest you scroll right down! Now have you ever wondered what secret ingredient makes our baked goods taste so yummy and nostalgic with every bite? The secret is simple and is available in our kitchen pantry. It is the type of fat used namely butter and lard. yes, you heard it right! It is a sizzling discussion to find which one fares best in this battle of Lard Vs. Butter in baking. Let’s roll our sleeves and jump right in to find the true winner.
Table of contents:
- What is Butter?
- What is Lard
- Purpose of Butter in baking
- Purpose of Lard in baking
- Lard Vs Butter in Baking
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Recommended recipes
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What is Butter?
Butter is the creamy white star ingredient we all know and use. Fresh butter is made up of 80-85% fat, some water, and some milk solids. In North America, you will see that butter is made from sweet cream. While European butter has a higher fat content – about 82% or even more. They also have a low moisture content. European butter is more likely made from cultured cream.
Butter is available in salted and unsalted forms. Unsalted butter does not last long but it has this fresh sweet taste which gives that rich and smooth mouthfeel. This is why it has become a popular choice for bakers to bake their masterpieces.
Speaking of masterpieces you can create your own with this easy Butter Crunch Cookies recipe. Or you can make browned butter using this guide on how to make your own browned butter. It adds that nutty richness to your recipes that will have you and your people asking for more. This brown butter espresso cookies recipe uses this same browned butter and trust me there is no looking back once you try them.
Purpose of Butter in Baking
Let us find out why butter is a popular choice for bakers by looking at a few uses of it below:
- Butter is loved and used worldwide in a variety of baked goodies to give them rich creaminess and impart great flavor and aroma.
- Butter gives a smooth and rich mouthfeel because it remains soft at room temperature. Ever bitten a cookie or a cake that just melts in your mouth, that is soft butter doing its magic.
- It imparts great texture to baked treats like flaky puff pastry and makes them crispy and crunchy. It makes the gluten strands short which makes your cookies, and pastries crunchy, just how you like them to be.
- The milk solids in the butter impart that milky flavor without overpowering the taste or texture making that first bite worthy and satisfying.
- The water from the butter evaporates into steam which helps the baking process. This gives the perfect rise to our bread, cakes, and pastries making them drool-worthy.
- Butter can be used as clarified also called ghee where milk solids and water content are separated. Ghee or clarified butter can be used to make many Indian delicacies.
Stock up on your butter people, you got nothing to lose!
What is Lard?
Lard is refined pork fat. It is either natural or hydrogenated. The fat is rendered or melted from the fatty tissues and then processed to remove any remaining “pork” flavor. Leaf lard is called the highest grade of lard as it surrounds the kidneys and abdomen of the animal.
Other grades of lard are hard fat which is great for frying and hands down the best for making a Homemade Quick Flaky Puff Pastry Recipe because of its elasticity and shortening power. Elasticity refers to the ability where you can stretch the dough to a particular length and it will come back a little. Shortening means making the gluten strands short so that our baked goods are crispy and crunchy. This flaky puff pastry however uses butter in place of lard.
Types of Lard and Storage
You will see that there are two types of lard available in the market. One type is fresh lard which requires refrigeration and the other one is hydrolyzed which can be kept for months if stored, covered, in a cool dry place. It does not require refrigeration.
Purpose of Lard in Baking
- Lard has a high smoke point of 375°F/ 190°C, which makes it ideal for deep frying. On the other hand, butter has a smoke point of 350°F/ 176°C. The smoke point here refers to the point at which the fat starts burning and releases fumes. For deep frying, you should always prefer fats with high smoke points like lard.
- Lard is the preferred fat for rich and tender tamales and empanadas (reminds me of Gloria frying empanadas for Manny). In European countries, they use lard as an ingredient in sausages, patés, and other meat preparations. I remember learning pates in college and it was quite a rewarding experience.
- China is the world’s largest consumer and producer of lard. Lard is used in making a variety of dishes from stir-fries to buns and pastries. Brb booking a ticket for China now…..haha.
- Lard is used as a fat in baking to create pie crusts or biscuits and cookies.
- Leaf lard which is the highest grade of lard is great for making flaky pastry. Because of the high smoke point, it melts much later than butter reducing the chance of overmixing when used with flour and giving perfect texture to our flaky pastry.
- People now prefer a mix of lard and butter so that they can have the rich flavor and aroma of butter in crusts and other baked goodies. A combination of lard and butter in the recipe makes it a win-win situation.
Lard Vs Butter in Baking:
Let’s break down some major points that differentiate the two fats butter and lard, so you can pick one perfect for your recipes.
Fat Content:
Lard has no trans fats and less saturated fat than butter.
State:
Lard and Butter both remain solid at room temperature and turn liquid once heated. The compositions and characteristics of both of them vary.
Color:
Lard is whitish in color and transparent when melted.
Butter comes in different colors depending on whether it’s salted or unsalted: salted butter is yellowish. It remains yellow after melting, while unsalted butter has a cream color and turns off-white when melted.
Taste:
Refined lard has a neutral flavor since it is processed which makes it a great choice for deep frying.
Butter gives the signature buttery taste, flavor, and rich aroma which is what most people love and seek.
Melting Point:
Lard has a high melting point while butter has a low melting point.
Smoking Point:
Lard has a high smoking point of 375°F/ 190°C, while butter has a lower smoking point of 350°F/ 176°C.
Use in Baking:
With a high melting point and smoking point, lard is ideal for greasing, deep frying, and making flaky pie crusts or pastry shells.
Butter contains saturated fats and has a lower melting point and smoking point compared to lard. Butter’s rich signature flavor and aroma make it perfect for buttercreams, cookies, and frostings. Here is an American buttercream frosting recipe that you can try. How to make vanilla American Buttercream for frosting
Lard and butter both have saturated fats hence they should be consumed in moderation.
Substitute of Lard:
You can replace lard with Butter, Vegetable oil, and Coconut oil.
Substitute of Butter:
People love using butter for its rich taste and flavor, but you can replace it with margarine, shortening, coconut fat, or plant-based butter.
Storage Tips:
All fats tend to become rancid if exposed to air for too long. They also tend to absorb flavors and smells from other food items which is why it becomes crucial to take care of their storage.
Butter is a highly perishable fat and hence it should be stored wrapped properly and stored under refrigeration. All other fats and oils should be stored in tightly closed containers in a cool, dry, and dark place.
Understanding the differences, uses, and substitutes for each type of fat will help you conclude which one works best for you to up your baking game.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lard vs Butter in Baking:
Is lard vegetarian?
No, lard is not vegetarian, lard is refined pork fat that is separated from the meat and then processed.
Can my lard go bad?
Yes, lard can go bad if left in the open for too long and it can also absorb flavors and smells from other foods if not stored correctly.
If you have fresh lard and want it to stay fresh, refrigerate it and If you have hydrolyzed lard you can cover and store it in a cool dark, and dry place for it to last longer. It does not require refrigeration.
What are some alternatives to lard?
Butter, vegetable oil, and coconut oil are all great alternatives to lard. All these alternatives are easily available and they can be substituted in place of lard.
Is lard vegan?
Lard is an animal fat hence it is not vegan but if, you are looking for vegan recipes here are a few healthy and easy vegan recipes that you can try. You can replace the ghee in coconut ladoo with coconut fat.
Coconut Ladoo with jaggery – 3 ingredients, No Sugar
Chia Coconut Pudding with Coconut Milk
Black rice pudding with coconut milk
Can butter be a replacement for lard in baking?
Both lard and butter have almost similar uses in baking so you can definitely use butter as a replacement. Lard and butter have different properties which should be considered before replacing.
Why is lard no longer used?
Lard is high in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol which is why by the late 20th century it was considered less healthy so, people started using more healthier oils like sunflower oil and olive oil in cooking.
More fun buttery recipes for you:
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