How do you eat butter? From sandwiches and scones to brioche and banana bread

To butter, or not to butter (your bread)? That is the question.

It might initially seem that there’s little to debate here. After all, where there’s bread – be it sliced white, airy artisanal sourdough or hot-from-the-tandoor naan – surely butter should be in close proximity.

But is that always the case? Does butter deserve a space at the table or a place on your toast, no matter what? Where do you store yours and how do you spread it? And what role does butter play in a sandwich, if any?

How do you spread butter?

These issues are contentious ones, so let’s ease our way in and first talk about technique. Some people are forceful, straight-from-the-fridge butter spreaders, while others favour a more pliable room-temperature slather. Some grate their butter, while a few are fans of the food hack that suggests cutting fridge-solid slabs with a cheese slicer.

The lactic, creamy tang of salted butter appeals to some palates, while others think mellower unsalted is the way to go.

Some subscribe to the idea that a dropped slice of toast will almost always land butter-side down. This is a pessimistic but quite correct point of view; it’s all to do with the angle of the toast as it slips from the plate and the time it has to rotate in mid-air.

Butter on bread, brioche and banana cake

Spreading butter on cakes and other baked goods comes down to personal preference. Pixabay

No matter how you butter yours, when consuming only bread (toasted or otherwise), we'd argue that butter is fundamental to your ultimate eating pleasure. There are, as always, a few exceptions to that rule, namely if the bread in question has been pulled from the oven seconds before or if gently swirling it in a pool of olive oil feels more fitting – when presented with an Italian-inspired grazing platter, mezze table or tapas-style menu, for example.

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Those with more austere eating habits suggest that adorning a slice of golden, egg-rich brioche with yet more butter could be considered gilding the lily. Given that most of us don't consume brioche on a daily basis, though, we're inclined to say that when the opportunity arises, you might as well indulge.

Whether that applies to baked goods that masquerade as bread – eyes on you, banana bread, loaf cake and the like – is another matter entirely and one that we’ll leave to personal preference. That said, a toasted tea cake that doesn’t drip with pools of melted butter frankly doesn’t bear thinking about.

What comes first, butter or jam?

Butter should always be the first layer, followed by jam or any other sandwich spread. Pixabay

What happens when you introduce another element – jam, jelly, spread or preserve – to the established partnership, though? Does the buttery stuff ever become redundant?

Here’s our much-deliberated status on the matter: butter remains a constant until the additional ingredient in the potential triumvirate rivals it in terms of texture and richness. That means jam, marmalade, honey, Marmite, Vegemite (if you must) and the like should all be spread over a layer of butter (never the other way around).

Butter, cream and jam on scones

British scones with cream and jam, or is it jam and cream? Pixabay

The only reason to forgo butter entirely is when the extra ingredient could credibly be considered a replacement. To illustrate our point, we’re going to steer you away from bread and butter for a moment and look instead to the very British scone.

Fiercely contested doesn't even come close to describing the difference of opinion over how to serve a scone, with the Cornish adamant that jam then cream is the only way to go (which seems to be Queen Elizabeth II's preference, too, according to her former personal chef). However, in the next county along, Devonians are as committed to a cream-first method.

Whichever way you prefer your scones, what we want to highlight is that the presence of cream in both methods makes the need for butter pretty much obsolete (or certainly excessive).

Butter on a peanut butter sandwich

Butter can be skipped entirely if you're making a PB&J sandwich or avocado toast. Pixabay

Returning to toast and following this logic, if peanut butter is your topping of choice, there's little need for a double butter whammy – even Elvis's favourite sandwich calls for only peanut butter in the preparation (it is, however, fried in butter to finish, as the King was never one to shy away from excess).

It’s the same with avocado toast; when the topping is as rich and creamy as this one, the need for butter becomes obsolete. We’d also add cream cheese, labneh and Nutella to that list of butter substitutes.

The case for butter in a sandwich

A layer of butter insulates the bread from the rest of the ingredients and helps to prevent a soggy sandwich. Pixabay

While a smear of butter is standard in almost every European sandwich, in the US it’s rather more of a rarity (grilled cheese, withstanding).

Here's why butter in a sandwich makes things better. A butter base coat acts as a magical primer, softening the bread and adding just the right amount of moisture. It also provides a pleasing richness without ever threatening to overpower the flavour of the sandwich filling.

Perhaps most important of all, this thin yet all-important layer functions as an insulating barrier between the bread and the other ingredients, helping to guard against one of the greatest culinary tragedies of all: the soggy sandwich.

Scores in brief:

New Medical Centre 129-5 in 17 overs bt Zayed Cricket Academy 125-6 in 20 overs.
William Hare Abu Dhabi Gymkhana 188-8 in 20 overs bt One Stop Tourism 184-8 in 20 overs
Alubond Tigers 138-7 in 20 overs bt United Bank Limited 132-7 in 20 overs
Multiplex 142-6 in 17 overs bt Xconcepts Automobili 140 all out in 20 overs

MATCH INFO

Newcastle United 3
Gayle (23'), Perez (59', 63')

Chelsea 0

RESULTS

Bantamweight: Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) beat Hamza Bougamza (MAR)

Catchweight 67kg: Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR) beat Fouad Mesdari (ALG)

Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammed Ali (UAE) beat Abdelhak Amhidra (MAR)

Catchweight 73kg: Mosatafa Ibrahim Radi (PAL) beat Yazid Chouchane (ALG)

Middleweight: Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) beat Badreddine Diani (MAR)

Catchweight 78KG: Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Adnan Bushashy (ALG)

Middleweight: Sallah-Eddine Dekhissi (MAR) beat Abdel Enam (EGY)

Catchweight 65kg: Yanis Ghemmouri (ALG) beat Rachid Hazoume (MAR)

Lightweight: Mohammed Yahya (UAE) beat Azouz Anwar (EGY)

Catchweight 79kg: Souhil Tahiri (ALG) beat Omar Hussein (PAL)

Middleweight: Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Laid Zerhouni (ALG)

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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MATCH INFO

West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')

Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')

The%20specs

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MATCH INFO

Tottenham Hotspur 1
Kane (50')

Newcastle United 0

Ultra processed foods

- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns

- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;

- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces

- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,

- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.

MATCH INFO

What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)

Meydan racecard:

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres

7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m

7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m

8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m

8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m

9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m

10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m

MORE FROM ED HUSAIN: The UAE-Israel accord is a win for every Muslim

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

If you go

Flying

Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.

Touring

Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com

Results:

First Test: New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 15

Second Test: New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24

Third Test: New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15

Brief scores:

Newcastle United 1

Perez 23'

Wolverhampton Rovers 2

Jota 17', Doherty 90' 4

Red cards: Yedlin 57'

Man of the Match: Diogo Jota (Wolves)

Event Horizon telescope: First ever image of a black hole revealed

Emirati astronomer collaborates with NYUAD on black holes research

Space researchers in Sharjah detect sunspot five times the size of Earth

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

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While you're here

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Khaled Yacoub Oweis: Hezbollah bids to control Lebanon’s financial system

National Editorial: Hezbollah's murky dealings in Iraq have been unveiled

Ukraine%20exports

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