Cut the butter into even sized pieces, so it melts evenly and at the same rate.

Place the butter in a light colored skillet over medium heat. Swirl the pan as it melts to help it heat evenly.

Once melted, the butter will foam and sizzle around the edges. Keep stirring or swirling occasionally during this stage.

As the foam starts to subside, watch closely, since the butter moves from foaming to browning quickly from this point. Look for small golden brown specks settling at the bottom of the pan and a nutty aroma.

As soon as the butter turns a deep golden brown and smells toasty, remove the pan from the heat immediately and transfer the butter to a heatproof bowl, scraping in the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, since that is where most of the flavor is.

Let the butter cool slightly before using it in baking, where the temperature and consistency of the butter often affects the final result.