Why Real Butter Matters in French Pastries – The Baudry Difference

When people bite into a croissant from a true French bakery, they often ask the same question: “How can something so simple taste so rich and complex?” The answer is not a secret ingredient or a fancy machine. It’s real butter.

At Baudry Bakery, we take pride in offering authentic French pastries made using traditional techniques and the highest-quality ingredients. And at the center of it all is real butter — not margarine, not vegetable shortening, but real, cultured, European-style butter. In this article, we’ll explore why butter is essential in French baking, how it impacts taste and texture, and what makes the Baudry approach to real butter baking different.

The Role of Butter in French Pastries

Butter is not just a flavoring — it’s the foundation of French pastry. From croissants to tartlets to sablés, butter defines the taste, structure, and quality of nearly every item in a French bakery case.

In laminated doughs like croissants, butter creates:

Layering through steam release during baking
Flakiness by separating thin sheets of dough
A rich aroma that defines the identity of French viennoiserie

In cookies and tart shells, butter contributes:

Tenderness from the fat content
Flavor depth especially when using cultured butter
Golden browning through the Maillard reaction

Simply put, without real butter, a French pastry cannot be what it is meant to be.

Real Butter vs. Substitutes: What’s the Difference?

Some bakeries use margarine or butter blends to save money or improve shelf stability. But these substitutes come at a cost to taste and authenticity.

Let’s break down the differences:

Feature	Real Butter	Margarine / Shortening
Fat Content	~82% (European-style)	Varies; often lower or artificial
Flavor	Rich, creamy, slightly tangy	Neutral or artificial
Texture in Baking	Flaky, tender, melts cleanly	Can feel greasy or dense
Ingredient Source	Dairy (cream or cultured cream)	Vegetable oils, additives
Melting Behavior	Clean, even melt	May break down unevenly

At Baudry, we use European-style cultured butter that is higher in fat, with a more complex flavor — especially important in pastries where butter is the star.

Why We Choose Cultured Butter at Baudry Bakery

Cultured butter is made by adding live bacteria cultures to cream before churning. This fermentation adds subtle tang and richness — flavors that make French pastries so distinctive.

Here’s why we only bake with cultured butter:

Flavor: It has a slightly tangy, nutty character that adds depth to pastry dough.
Performance: Higher butterfat (typically 82–84%) means less water, more flavor, and better texture.
Authenticity: This is the butter used by French bakers and taught in pastry schools across Europe.

While it costs more and requires careful handling, the results are worth it. Our croissants, tart shells, and sablés have that unmistakable taste of authentic French pastries — rich, complex, and naturally delicious.

The Baudry Butter Process: From Dough to Display

Using real butter means adjusting our process to treat it with respect. Here’s how we work with butter at each stage of our baking.

1. Lamination

For croissants, we encase a block of cold cultured butter between sheets of dough, then roll and fold it multiple times. This creates up to hundreds of delicate layers.

Timing, temperature, and pressure must be perfect. If the butter gets too warm, it melts into the dough. If too cold, it shatters and breaks the layers.

At Baudry, we laminate by hand, in small batches, with chilling periods between folds. This slow, precise method ensures a flaky, even rise.

2. Tart Shells and Cookies

In sablés and pâte sucrée (sweet pastry dough), butter must be well incorporated but not overworked. We use cool room temperatures, minimal handling, and rest periods to prevent gluten development — all to preserve the crumbly, tender texture that defines a French shortbread.

We never use artificial flavors or softeners to mimic butter. The real thing provides everything we need.

3. Baking and Browning

Real butter enhances browning naturally. It creates a deep golden hue on croissants and tart crusts without the need for extra egg washes or added sugar.

This not only adds visual appeal but improves flavor through caramelization — a key part of the Baudry difference.

Why This Matters to You

You might wonder — does the average customer notice the difference?

Yes. Every week, our customers at farmers’ markets tell us they can taste the richness and feel the quality of our pastries. Many mention how our croissants remind them of trips to France, or how our sablés are the first they’ve had that don’t taste overly sweet or artificial.

When you eat something made with real butter, your body and palate know it. The texture is better, the flavor lingers longer, and the satisfaction is deeper. For people seeking high-quality, natural foods, butter isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.

Where to Taste the Baudry Difference

You can find our authentic French pastries made with cultured butter at:

Hyde Park Farmers’ Market (Sundays)
Montgomery Farmers’ Market (Saturdays)
Pop-up events throughout Cincinnati
Pre-order online at baudrybakery.com

Everything is baked fresh in small batches, and we often sell out — especially croissants and sablés — so we recommend visiting early or reserving online.

Final Thoughts

Real butter is not a trend. It is the heart of authentic French pastry, and it’s at the heart of everything we bake at Baudry Bakery. From hand-laminated croissants to delicate tart shells, our commitment to real butter baking is what sets us apart.

When you choose pastries made with cultured butter, you’re not just enjoying a better flavor — you’re supporting traditional methods, honest ingredients, and a bakery that believes in doing things the right way.

So the next time you take a bite of a perfectly crisp croissant or a tender shortbread cookie from Baudry, you’ll know: the butter makes it better.