How to Melt Butter: 4 Ways to Use Melted Butter

You can melt solid butter quickly in the microwave following these steps:

1. 1. Cut: Cut the stick of butter into small pieces.
2. 2. Cover: Put the small pieces of butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and cover the butter with a paper towel.
3. 3. Heat: Microwave the butter in ten-second increments until it is mostly melted from the residual heat. (Butter will splatter if it is overheated, so stick to ten-second intervals.)
4. 4. Stir: With a spoon, stir the remaining chunks of butter until fully melted.

You can easily melt butter on the stovetop following these steps:

1. 1. Cut: Slice the stick of butter into small pieces.
2. 2. Heat: Place butter in a small saucepan on the stovetop on low heat.
3. 3. Stir: Stir the butter pieces with a wooden spoon until they are fully melted.
4. 4. Double boil: Alternatively, you can melt butter on a double boiler if you are concerned about burning the butter. Put small pieces of butter in a heat-safe bowl over a pot of boiling water and stir the butter until it is melted.

Butter melts at temperatures between 82 degrees Fahrenheit and 97 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use melted butter in baking recipes, as a topping, and more:

1. 1. Dips and spreads: Melted butter is a popular dip for lobster. You can also drizzle it on popcorn, or mix it with garlic and spread on bread to make garlic bread.
2. 2. Baked goods: Many baking recipes, particularly cookie recipes, call for melted butter. Melted butter yields a more crispy, chewy chocolate chip cookie. You can also use melted butter in certain cake recipes to make a moist and dense cake.
3. 3. Sauces: When you melt butter on the stovetop, keep it on the heat a bit longer until you see specks of brown in the butter—that's the toasted milk fat. Browned butter has a nutty, caramel-like flavor that you can add to savory dishes like pasta and roasts.
4. 4. Cooking oil: You can use melted butter as cooking oil for roasting, pan-frying, or sautéing meats and vegetables.

Clarified butter is melted butter with all of the water evaporated out of it. To make it, melt the butter on the stovetop. You will start to see the butter frothing. Keep the butter on the heat until no more froth remains, which means the water in the butter has evaporated completely. Remove the butter from the heat once the milk solids separate.

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