Instructions

Begin with a heavy-bottomed saucepan (medium size) over medium-high heat.

Add sugar and stand over the pan the entire time, stirring with a whisk constantly until sugar begins to melt.

At this stage, you'll want to use your whisk to break up sugar clumps as they form.  Simply smash them with the tip of the whisk.  This step is best done now, even though when all the sugar melts and turns to liquid, you'll still see some clumps...don't worry!  These will eventually go away during cooking--and even if they don't, it will still taste great.

The above process will take you about 10-15 minutes.  Do not leave your sugar unattended.

Once sugar turns to liquid and clumps have been mostly broken up, stop whisking as much and just watch, whisking only every now and then.

At this stage I don't use a thermometer, as is common in most caramel recipe instructions.  Instead I go by how the bubbles look.

You'll be looking for rolling bubbles, starting in the middle coming from the bottom up.  Once this happens, whisk and smell.  You want the sauce to smell like caramel with a slightly burned aroma.  If you add the butter and cream too soon your sauce might not have a great depth of flavor, so be patient, but also note that if you let it cook too long it can burn easily, which won't taste good.  Make sure to have enough sugar, butter and cream to make a couple of batches until you get it right.  The time put in is worth it!

The above process will take only a few minutes, so pay attention.

Once sauce bubbles immediately after whisking, remove from heat and carefully add butter all at once, whisking constantly to melt and emulsify.

Next, add cream equally as carefully.

Add your pinch of salt, pour your caramel sauce into a heatproof pitcher and reserve for pouring over your Snowflake Brioche, or any other dessert you like!