Our Top 5 Butters For Your Homemade Bread

Published on 17th May 2013

So you have perfected your bread machine technique and you're waking up to the wonderful aroma of fresh homemade bread. Now you just need the perfect topping to really get the most from those airy warm slices. Bread and butter is a classic, comforting combination. So here are some tips for butter that won't let you down.

1. Lurpak Slightly Salted

For your everyday bread and butter, Lurpak Slightly Salted is a personal favourite.

Lurpack slightly salted

Voted top salted butter! (image source: Lurpak)

It was also voted the best salted butter in a taste test by EveryDay Magazine. It has a light milky taste that won't overpower all the wonderful flavour in your fresh bread machine loaf, yet there is a lovely sweet creaminess that comes through. Also, this butter is the healthier choice because it has 34% less butter than standard salted brands.

2. Isigny Sainte-Mere

When we want something special and luxurious we like to reach for France.

Isigny Sainte-Mere

Ooo la-la! (image source: Ocado)

Indeed some French regions are considered to be the best producers of butter in the world. Isigny Butter is always at the top of my list.

This area has a mild, damp climate which are the ideal conditions for gourmet quality dairy production. This butter is famous for it's natural, rich yellow colour. It's creamy with a faint taste of hazelnuts.

3. Netherend Farm

An often forgotten gold mine of lovely butter is Britain. We also have mild summers with plenty of rain: the perfect climate to nurture healthy, well grazed livestock that gives you perfect butter.

Netherend Farm butter

Great British butter (image source: Netherend Farm)

Netherend Farm butter made in Gloucestershire, is really special. It is made in small batches using a churn. This gives it a wonderful deep flavour. This butter is totally pure and because it is made from high quality milk, there is no need to add any cultures to the cream to make it last longer.

4. Make Your Own Butter

You cannot beat creamy homemade butter to finish off a slice of bread fresh from your bread machine.

Homemade butter

Delicious homemade butter (image source: Nathan Cooprider)

It's surprisingly easy to make, so why not have a go and impress your friends and family. Take 1 pint of whipping cream and sit it over night at room temperature. Take a clean glass marble and put the marble and the cream into a jar. Screw the lid on tight. Simply shake the cream vigorously and after just a few minutes a smooth rich butter will form. Now you're ready to spread.

5. Homemade Sour Cream

If you want to finish off your machine bread with a touch of decadence then handmade sour cream is perfect. This is the ideal finishing touch if you're entertaining guests, or cooking something nice for a loved one.

Take 1 cup of whipping cream and a quarter cup of buttermilk. Mix it together in a screw top jar. Fix the lid on tightly and stand it at room temperature for 24 hours. When you go back to it you'll have a wonderfully thick yogurty cream. Chill it first, then dip your fresh crusty bread and enjoy!