Classic Butter Shortbread
This is a base recipe that rewards restraint. By using high-quality unsalted butter and avoiding overworking the flour, you create a biscuit that is rich, pale, and unmistakably buttery.
Cold butter is your primary tool.
Do not let the butter soften to room temperature; it should remain cool to the touch so it stays suspended in the flour during baking rather than melting out prematurely.
- 9-inch round cake pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Pastry cutter or flat fork
- Pricking fork
- Parchment paper
What goes in.
- 8 ozunsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 4 ozsuperfine sugar
- 12 ozall-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 pinchfine sea salt
Texture over strength
Use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stop the moment the dough comes together to prevent developing the gluten.
The method.
Mix dry ingredients
Whisk the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the sugar and toss briefly.
Cut in the butter
Add the cold butter cubes. Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work the butter into the flour until it forms a shaggy, cohesive dough that holds its shape when squeezed.
Press into the pan
Transfer the dough to an ungreased 9-inch round pan. Press it down evenly with the palm of your hand until the surface is flat and flush with the edges.
Prick and score
Use a fork to prick the entire surface of the dough. Use a sharp knife to score 16 triangles, cutting halfway through the thickness of the dough.
Chill and bake
Place the pan in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before moving it to a 325°F oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are a pale straw color and the center is set.
Final cut
Recut the scored lines while the shortbread is still warm in the pan. Let it cool completely in the pan before removing the wedges.
Other turns to take.
Lemon zest
Rub the zest of one lemon into the sugar before mixing it with the flour to release the citrus oils.
Speckled shortbread
Add two tablespoons of finely chopped loose-leaf tea or dried lavender to the dry ingredients for an aromatic edge.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use a scale; volumetric measuring of flour is often inaccurate and leads to dense, tough biscuits.
If the dough feels soft or sticky, chill it in the pan for an extra 10 minutes before sliding it into the oven.
Avoid the temptation to over-bake; shortbread should stay pale rather than golden brown.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my shortbread chewy instead of crisp?
The dough was likely handled too much, which developed the gluten in the flour. Keep the ingredients cold and mix only until combined.
Can I use salted butter?
Yes, but omit the extra pinch of salt in the ingredient list to keep the balance correct.
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