Oil vs. Butter
In the Christmas podcast, which has not yet been posted, Tanel asked me a baking question. In terms of results, what is the difference between using vegetable oil or butter when baking? I could only give her half the answer which was the why not the what. At the time, I couldn’t explain what the difference in the results would be, but I knew that the reason for the difference has to do with viscosity. I knew I had the answer in some books, so here it is…
In almost all baking, we combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients. There are three conventional ways for combining the wet and dry ingredients. And it is here that we see the difference in oil and butter since it is these methods of combining the ingredients that determine the consistency of the end product.
Creaming - This method mixes fat with sugar, and results in a cake-like texture. Fat and sugar are mixed together and then the dry ingredients are added. This method will usually generate a dough rather than a batter. Creaming requires that a solid is added to the sugar, so this method will use softened butter or shortening, not oil.
Cutting In - This method results in a flaky, biscuit-like texture. Shortbread and pie crusts also fall into this category since they are flaky. Here, the fat and sugar are “cut in” using a pastry blender or two knives. This method will usually generate a dough rather than a batter. Like creaming, this method also requires that a solid is added to the sugar, so this method also uses softened butter or shortening, not oil.
Two-Bowl – This method results in a texture with larger and irregular air holes. This is used primarily in muffins and many breads. All of the dry ingredients are mixed together in one bowl, and all of the wet ingredients are mixed in a second bowl. The two bowls are then mixed together, often leaving the batter slightly lumpy. This will always generate a batter and not a dough. The method requires a liquid, so oil must be used.
What is the most important lesson? Butter and vegetable oil are not substitute ingredients. Butter is a solid, oil is a liquid. They have very different chemical compositions and therefore generate very different results.
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Patrick Butter and shortening can be used as substitutes. However, there are two key differences. Number one if flavor. Butter not only adds flavor on its own, but it also blends with other ingredients and has the ability to “bring out” flavors mroe than shortening can. Shortening has virtually no flavor on its own. The second flavor has to do with the consistency of the end product. Butter has water in it, shortening does not. Using cookies as an example, using butter, they may spread more and end up flatter and crispier when compared to shortening.
And you are correct about “cold” butter. The cutting in method will use cold butter rather than softened.
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great reply!
a couple more questions:
what’s the difference between butter and shortening. can you substitue one for the other?
I’ve seen recipes where you start with a cold butter or shorterning (instead of softened). do you know what difference this makes? is this used for “cutting in” method?