Traditional Butter Shortbread
This is a biscuit that demands patience rather than technique. By keeping the dough cool and the oven low, you ensure the butter holds its structure instead of leaking out into a puddle.
Temperature is your primary ingredient.
Ensure your butter is cold and firm; if it turns oily while you are working the dough, put the bowl in the refrigerator for ten minutes before proceeding.
- 9-inch square cake pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Pastry cutter or your hands
- Fork
- Parchment paper
What goes in.
- 1 cupunsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- 1/2 cupsuperfine sugar
- 2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1/4 tspfine sea salt
Incorporating the fat
Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse, damp sand. Stop the moment there are no large lumps of butter remaining to prevent a greasy cookie.
The method.
Prep the oven and pan
Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Line your square pan with parchment paper so that two sides overhang, allowing you to lift the shortbread out later.
Combine dry base
Whisk the flour and salt together in your bowl. Add the cubed butter and sugar.
Form the dough
Use your hands to work the butter into the flour. Keep pinching and rubbing until the mixture holds together when you squeeze a handful of it. Do not overwork it into a smooth paste.
Press and dock
Dump the crumbles into the pan and press them down firmly into an even layer using the back of a glass. Prick the surface all over with a fork to allow steam to escape.
Bake
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. You are looking for a very pale gold color, specifically at the edges. The center will remain light.
Slice
Remove from the oven and let it sit for five minutes. Score the shortbread into rectangles while it is still warm, then let it cool completely in the pan before lifting it out.
Other turns to take.
Lemon Zest
Rub the zest of one lemon into the sugar before mixing it with the flour for a bright, citrus finish.
Earl Grey
Add two teaspoons of finely ground loose-leaf Earl Grey tea to the flour for a floral, tannic depth.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use high-quality butter with higher fat content; it makes a noticeable difference in the final snap.
If the dough feels greasy when you go to press it, put the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes before sliding it into the oven.
Always slice while warm; if you wait until it is fully cold, the shortbread will crumble unevenly.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my shortbread tough?
You likely over-mixed the dough after adding the butter, which develops the flour's gluten. Keep the handling minimal.
Can I use salted butter?
You can, but omit the added sea salt from the recipe. Taste varies by brand, so unsalted is safer for control.
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