Traditional Butter Shortbread
This is a recipe of restraint. With only three primary ingredients, the quality of your butter is the only thing that can hide, so use a block with high fat content.
Cold butter is your enemy here.
Let your butter sit out until it is cool to the touch but soft enough to indent with a finger. If it's too cold, it won't cream; too warm, and the cookies will spread into a puddle.
- Stand mixer or sturdy wooden spoon
- 8-inch round cake pan or baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Fork
- Rolling pin
What goes in.
- 8 ozunsalted butter, softened
- 4 ozgranulated sugar
- 12 ozall-purpose flour
- 1/4 tspfine sea salt
Minimal Manipulation
Work the dough only until it forms a cohesive mass. Overworking develops gluten, which turns a crisp, crumbly cookie into a chewy, tough one.
The method.
Cream the base
Beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until the mixture is pale and smooth. Do not aerate it like a cake; you want a paste, not a fluffy foam.
Incorporate dry
Sift the flour and salt over the butter mixture. Use a spatula to fold it in until just streaks of flour remain, then press it together with your hands.
Shape
Press the dough evenly into an ungreased 8-inch round pan. Use a flat-bottomed glass to level the surface.
Dock and Chill
Use a fork to prick the dough all over in a decorative pattern. Chill the pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to ensure the butter stays solid until it hits the oven heat.
Bake
Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 40 to 45 minutes. The edges should be pale gold, but the center should remain light.
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 Shortbread
Rub the zest of one lemon into the sugar before creaming with the butter.
Earl Grey
Add two teaspoons of finely ground tea leaves to the flour.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the dough feels greasy when you press it into the pan, chill it for an extra 15 minutes before baking.
A metal cake pan conducts heat more evenly than glass, leading to a crisper bottom crust.
Do not open the oven door during the first 30 minutes of baking to prevent the edges from setting unevenly.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my shortbread tough?
The dough was worked too hard. Keep the handling light and ensure your butter isn't melting during the mixing process.
Can I substitute salted butter?
You can, but omit the extra salt from the recipe. It is harder to control the final salinity when using salted butter.
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