Classic Butter Shortbread
This is a recipe of restraint. With only three primary ingredients, the quality of your butter defines the final result. Keep the dough cool and handle it as little as possible to ensure the texture stays crisp rather than tough.
Temperature control is your only challenge.
Ensure your butter is cold enough to cut into cubes but soft enough to knead. If the dough feels greasy, pop it in the fridge for ten minutes before rolling or pressing.
- 9-inch round cake pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Pastry cutter or your hands
- 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
Maintaining Butter Chunks
Work the butter into the flour until you have a sandy texture with a few pea-sized bits remaining. These small pockets of fat create the steam that gives the shortbread its layered, sandy bite.
The method.
Mix the dry
Whisk the flour and salt together in your bowl. Add the sugar and stir to combine.
Cut in the fat
Add the cubed butter. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Form the dough
Use your hands to gently squeeze the mixture into a ball. Do not over-knead, or the heat from your hands will melt the butter and ruin the texture.
Press and dock
Press the dough firmly into an ungreased 9-inch pan. Use a fork to prick the surface all over; this prevents the center from bubbling and helps the heat penetrate evenly.
Bake
Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 35 to 40 minutes. You are looking for a very pale straw color; do not let it brown significantly.
Slice warm
Remove from the oven and let rest for five minutes. Slice into wedges while still warm, then leave them in the pan until completely cool.
Other turns to take.
Lemon Zest
Rub the zest of one lemon into the sugar before adding the butter to infuse the oils throughout the dough.
Vanilla Bean
Split one vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the butter before cutting it into the flour.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use a light-colored metal pan to ensure the bottom doesn't brown faster than the top.
If you want clean slices, use a ruler to mark your lines while the dough is warm, then finish the cuts once it has cooled to room temperature.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week; the flavor actually improves on the second day.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my shortbread tough?
You likely overworked the dough, which develops the gluten in the flour. Mix only until the ingredients come together.
Can I use salted butter?
You can, but omit the added salt from the recipe. Unsalted is preferred so you can control the exact seasoning.
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