Mastering Traditional Shortbread
This is a biscuit that demands patience. By keeping your workspace cool and working the dough with your fingertips instead of your palms, you ensure the final bite snaps cleanly.
Temperature is your primary ingredient.
If your butter is too soft, the biscuits will spread into greasy puddles. If your hands are warm, chill them under cold water before you begin mixing.
- large mixing bowl
- flat baking sheet
- parchment paper
- fork
- rolling pin
What goes in.
- 9 ozall-purpose flour, sifted
- 6 ozunsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 3 ozcaster sugar
- pinchfine sea salt
Rubbing in the fat
Use only your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse sand. This coats the flour proteins in fat, preventing gluten development.
The method.
Prepare the base
Whisk the flour and salt in the bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and rub them into the flour using your fingertips until the texture is uniform and sandy.
Bind the dough
Add the sugar and stir briefly. Squeeze the mixture gently with your hands; it should just begin to hold together like damp earth. Do not knead it into a smooth paste.
Shape
Press the dough into a 1/2-inch thick circle on a piece of parchment. Use a floured rolling pin to smooth the surface, then cut into wedges or rectangles while still in the pan.
Dock and chill
Prick the surface of each biscuit with a fork to release steam. Slide the tray into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm up the butter before baking.
Bake
Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 30-35 minutes. They are ready when they turn a very pale gold at the edges. They will remain soft to the touch until they cool.
Other turns to take.
Lemon Shortbread
Add one tablespoon of finely grated lemon zest to the sugar before mixing.
Earl Grey
Grind one tablespoon of loose leaf tea into a powder and mix it directly into the flour.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use a metal spatula to move the biscuits to a wire rack only after they have rested on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.
Always measure by weight; flour volume changes significantly depending on how it is scooped.
If the dough feels greasy while you are working, stop and put the entire bowl in the freezer for five minutes.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my shortbread spread?
The butter likely became too warm. Always chill the shaped dough for at least 20 minutes before it enters the hot oven.
Can I replace the caster sugar with granulated sugar?
You can, but it will leave a slight crunch on the surface and the texture will be less refined.
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