Traditional Butter Shortbread
Shortbread is less about complex chemistry and more about temperature control. If you keep the butter cold until the moment it hits the oven, you preserve the structure of the crumb.
Butter temperature is your only variable.
Use high-quality unsalted butter. If the butter is too soft before mixing, the cookies will spread into a greasy puddle instead of holding their crisp edges.
- 9-inch round cake pan
- parchment paper
- large mixing bowl
- fork
- sharp knife
What goes in.
- 1 cupunsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 1/2 cupgranulated sugar
- 2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1/4 tspfine sea salt
Incorporating the fat
Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour and sugar until it resembles coarse, damp sand. Stop as soon as it holds together when squeezed; overworking it creates a tough, chewy biscuit.
The method.
Preheat and prep
Set the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of your cake pan with a circle of parchment paper.
Combine
Whisk the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the sugar, then drop in the cubed butter. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingers.
Press
Dump the crumbly mixture into the pan. Use the back of a measuring cup or your knuckles to pack it down into an even, level layer.
Score
Use a fork to prick a decorative pattern over the surface. Use a knife to lightly score the dough into 16 wedges—do not cut all the way to the bottom yet.
Bake
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. The edges should be a very pale biscuit color, not deep brown.
Finish
Remove from the oven and immediately recut through the scored lines while the cookie is still warm. Let cool completely in the pan before removing.
Other turns to take.
Lemon Zest
Rub the zest of one lemon into the sugar before mixing to infuse the butter with oils.
Vanilla Bean
Split a vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the flour for distinct visual flecks and depth.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the dough feels greasy when pressing into the pan, chill the whole pan in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking.
The shortbread will seem soft when you pull it out of the oven; it gains its signature crispness as it cools.
Avoid using bleached flour, as it can affect the final crumb structure.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my shortbread crumbly?
Shortbread is inherently sandy. If it won't hold its shape at all, you likely didn't press it firmly enough into the pan or the butter was too warm during mixing.
Can I use salted butter?
You can, but omit the added salt in the recipe. Unsalted is preferred so you can control the exact sodium levels.
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