Traditional Butter Shortbread
There is no leavening here—no baking powder or eggs to lift the dough. The structure comes entirely from the butter-flour emulsion, meaning your room-temperature butter must be soft enough to cream but cool enough to maintain its integrity.
Temperature is your only ingredient
If your butter is too warm, the cookies will spread into a greasy puddle; if the flour isn't weighed correctly, they will be hard as stone. Keep your hands cool and your workspace clear.
- Digital scale
- Large mixing bowl
- 9-inch round cake pan
- Parchment paper
- Fork
What goes in.
- 225gunsalted European-style butter, softened
- 110gcaster sugar
- 340gall-purpose flour
- 1/4 tspfine sea salt
Don't overwork the gluten
Rub the flour into the butter mixture until it resembles coarse damp sand. Stop the moment it holds together when squeezed, or the resulting cookie will be tough instead of crisp.
The method.
Cream the base
Beat the butter, sugar, and salt in a bowl until the mixture is pale and smooth. Do not aerate it aggressively like a sponge cake; you want it creamy, not fluffy.
Incorporate flour
Add the flour in three stages, folding it in with a stiff spatula. Once the final streaks of white disappear, stop immediately.
Press and dock
Press the dough evenly into a parchment-lined 9-inch pan. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon, then prick the entire surface deeply with a fork to allow steam to escape.
Chill and bake
Refrigerate the pan for 20 minutes before placing it in a 325°F (165°C) oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The edges should be pale gold, not brown.
Slice
Score the dough into wedges while it is still warm from the oven. Let it cool completely in the pan before lifting the pieces out.
Other turns to take.
Lemon Rosemary
Rub the zest of one lemon and a teaspoon of finely minced fresh rosemary into the sugar before creaming with the butter.
Salted Chocolate
Drizzle the cooled wedges with melted dark chocolate and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use a scale; volume measurements for flour vary too wildly for a recipe this lean.
If the dough feels sticky or oily, it is too warm. Put the bowl in the freezer for five minutes before pressing into the pan.
Bake on the middle rack to prevent the bottom from coloring faster than the top.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use salted butter?
You can, but omit the additional salt listed in the ingredients. European-style butter with higher fat content is preferred for a cleaner finish.
Why did my shortbread turn out tough?
The dough was likely overworked, or the oven was too hot, causing the butter to melt out before the structure set.
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