Salted butter vs unsalted for pie crust was a gamble I lost

I had to pick between salted and unsalted butter for my apple pie last Tuesday. I grabbed the salted out of habit since that's what I always have on hand. The crust came out way too salty and it threw off the whole filling balance. Now I'm wondering if anyone else has had this backfire or if I just need to cut the added salt in the recipe.

3 comments

3 Comments

jasonf1721d ago

Oh man, doubling up on salt without realizing it is like the classic baking trap, right? I've done the exact same thing before and ended up with a crust that tasted more like a pretzel than a pie. I mean honestly, who even knows how much salt is in salted butter? It feels like a guessing game every time. Maybe next time just treat the salted butter like a rogue variable and cut all added salt, then play it by ear if the dough tastes flat. Live and learn I guess, or just keep a stash of unsalted for the important stuff.

the_spencer21d ago

Haha oh man, is this really the end of the world though? I mean yeah it's annoying when a pie crust is too salty but it's not like it was ruined beyond eating. My grandma used salted butter for everything her whole life and just threw a little flour in to soak up the extra salt. Everybody still loved her pies. I think people overthink this stuff way too much honestly. Just eat the pie and move on with your life lol.

logan_young2921d ago

Hang on, did you use salted butter in a recipe that already called for salt? Or did you just skip the salt entirely? Because if the recipe already had salt listed, then using salted butter probably doubled up the sodium and that's why it got so salty. You can still use salted butter in pie crust, you just have to cut the added salt in half or leave it out completely. I always use unsalted for baking because it gives me more control over the salt level, especially with pie crust where the butter flavor really matters. Salted butter has varying amounts of salt between brands too, so you never really know what you're getting. Next time try unsalted with a pinch of salt mixed into the flour, it makes a big difference.