Homemade Butter Studded With Fleur De Sel

One of the pristine salt marshes in the Guerande region. You can see the daily harvest at the edge of the individual salt beds where it drains overnight before being added to the large mound called “mulon,” the next day.

Elizabeth Karmel

It’s a well-known fact that I am obsessed with salt and even collect it. It is the one souvenir that I always bring back from any place that I visit. I have red salt, black salt, Himalayan pink salt, grey salt, flavored salts, all kinds of white salt—coarse and fine—But my favorite salt of all time, is Fleur de Sel from France. Fleur de Sel is translated into English as flower of salt, and the coveted crystals naturally gather and float on the top of the water in the salt marshes where they are hand-picked in the afternoon.

After years of dreaming about visiting France’s legendary salt marshes, I recently traveled to La Baule to explore the Guérande region. This seaside resort town retains its strong Breton identity through language, architecture, and cuisine—and most importantly [to me], its prized salt from the nearby marshes.

The Ancient Art of Salt Harvesting

What I discovered in Guérande was a fascinating centuries-old, artisanal process that hasn’t really changed at all—this is as low tech as it comes. From June through September, the region’s Paludiers, a.k.a. salt farmers, nurture and harvest every grain of salt through an intricate and finely choreographed dance with nature.

The process relies on perfect timing and a delicate balance. Sea water flows into the small crystallizing ponds (salt beds) and the quantity of water is controlled by gravity and slate gates. It’s done in the same way that it has been done for hundreds of years. For example, when Paludiers need to adjust the flow of water, they may stuff tree branches in the holes to slow it down—there’s nothing mechanical about it.

And weather determines everything. If conditions align—the right combination of sea water, sun, and wind—the farmers have a productive day. If it rains or timing is off, the salt returns to the sea. The larger gros sel (coarse sea salt) forms the bulk of the harvest, while the precious Fleur de Sel crystals float delicately on the surface. If the workers miss the end-of-day collection window, these premium crystals sink and join the coarser and more abundant gros sel on the bottom of the marsh. In this particular region, the salt that they rake from the bottom of the marsh is naturally grey and mineral rich which is why this salt is sometimes referred to as sel gris.

Nothing Beats Good Bread and Salted Butter

Needless to say, food was also a big part of the trip and everywhere we ate, Fleur de Sel finished the dish including breakfast at the charming Hotel Saint Christophe in La Baule. The small hotel had a lovely garden, was exceptionally well located and had one of the best breakfast buffets that I have ever experienced.

The bread and pastries are sourced from the exceptional master baker Karl Lefortier, owner of the boulangerie Maison Airaud. The chef only uses the local Guérande gros sel in his baking and he credits the salt as the reason that his bread has a proper crust, complex flavor, and an ideal crumb structure. At breakfast, his excellent bread was complimented by a selection of delicious regional butters with Fleur de Sel and even seaweed!

Surrounded by abundant Fleur de Sel and exceptional bread and French butter, I ended up consuming more of this combination than anything else. As I was enjoying my bread feast which wouldn’t have been the same without the creamy salted butter, I thought, why not make my own salted butter once I got home? It’s simple, and will showcase the light crunchy crystals of Fleur de Sel better than almost anything else I could think of.

The Simple Joy of Homemade Butter

Plus, I had always wanted to make my own butter, but had never gotten around to it. Once I did it, I wondered what had taken me so long?! It’s beyond simple. All you need is heavy cream, Fleur de Sel, and a stand mixer with a whisk attachment.

The process is a distinct metamorphosis which is probably why grade-school teachers often pass around a glass jar filled with cream to shake with their students. Since this was my first time making butter in a mixer, I set four, three-minute intervals so I could watch the cream transform through the distinct phases from liquid to whipped cream to curds and buttermilk to solid butter.

If you don’t care to watch the process, you can set the timer for 10-12 minutes and let the mixer do its magic. Just remember, as the fat separates from liquid, you will need to cover the bowl to prevent splashing. And prepare an ice bath as it is whipping— as you’ll wash the excess buttermilk from your finished butter.

Once solid, remove butter from the whisk, knead it briefly (working quickly to prevent melting), then wash it in the ice bath until any excess liquid from the butter is removed. Flatten it out on parchment paper, season with Fleur de Sel and form into a butter ball. I let it sit overnight in the refrigerator before I tasted it, but you could use it immediately.

My homemade butter did not disappoint. It rivaled the French butter I ate in La Baule in terms of taste and the texture was exceptional. It was soft, creamy, not waxy—creating what I can only describe as the “jam version” of butter, light, fluffy, and flavorful rather than heavy or greasy. American cream has a slightly different flavor profile, so I can’t say that it was better, but it was much better than most domestic grocery store butters. And of course, the added Fleur de Sel elevated everything that I spread it on.

Homemade Butter Studded with Fleur de Sel

Good butter is one of the best ways to enhance, season and finish a dish. Think about how it elevates a simple ear of summer corn, a fresh-out-of-the oven biscuit or loaf of bread, and how it tames the sharp peppery edges of a crunchy radish with a pinch of great flaky salt, among many other of our favorite foods. Making your own butter is one of the easiest, and least expensive ways to upgrade your daily meals.

Makes a generous ½ cup of butter

Ingredients:

1 pint (2 cups )heavy cream

Guérande Fleur de Sel, to taste

Method:

1. In a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, add the heavy cream to the bowl. If you have the splash guard, use it.
2. Begin to whip on about 4 or 5 setting until it thickens slightly.
3. Gradually increase the mixer speed to 6 or medium-high and continue to whip. I whipped in three minute increments and scraped down the sides of the bowl in between.
4. Continue mixing past the whipped cream phase, and you will see the the cream begin to separate into solid butter and liquid buttermilk.
5. Meanwhile, make an ice bath in a bowl that is large enough for the butter and your hands.
6. Remove the butter from the mixer and strain the liquid off. (I used my buttermilk to make ranch dressing!)
7. Squeeze out any excess moisture and air by kneading and squeezing the butter through your hands about 3-4 times.
8. Place the butter ball in the ice bath. Rinse the butter by kneading it and squeezing it in the ice bath. The water will become cloudy as you get the extra buttermilk out of the butter.