You're just about ready to bake and you forgot one critical step in the prep process — softening the butter. When a recipe calls for mixing ingredients with butter until "fluffy," this effect is essentially an emulsion between the fat and the water. If you don't soften butter properly, you'll alter the recipe's final product.
For example, if you're baking cookies and use melted butter, Gordon says the texture and shape of the cookie won't be exactly what you're looking for. The reason? Butter has a lower melting point than ingredients like shortening, which causes it to spread more quickly and, therefore, create flatter, less pillowy cookies.
Suffice it to say, softening butter properly is a cardinal rule of baking. Luckily, you can avoid flopping your next baking project by bringing your butter to room temperature before you begin. Soft butter should have some movement but should not be melting in any way. To know if your butter is the right consistency for baking, Gordon has a foolproof way to test it out. It shouldn't be so soft that it's able to spread easily on toast, she says, but it shouldn't be firm or waxy like it was when you first took it out of the refrigerator.
If you remember to do it, Gordon says this technique works very effectively. Leaving your sticks of butter on the counter an hour or so before baking can help soften the butter evenly before you're ready to bake.
Keep in mind, if your kitchen is typically cold, especially in the winter, this method won't be as effective. But let's be honest, you're likely here because you've already forgotten to do this. The next method is your best bet. Cutting your butter up will help it soften faster, even if you don't use a mixer afterwards. Not only is this Gordon's favorite method, but it's the most viable. Use a knife or bench scraper to cube up the amount of butter needed for your recipe. Before adding in the rest of your ingredients, Gordon recommends using an electric mixer at high speed for about 20 seconds to soften up the butter completely.
Gordon says this technique works very effectively. After covering your sticks of butter with parchment paper or plastic wrap, get it to move and flatten by smashing it with a rolling pin. Save It Print. Prep Time 2 mins. Total Time 2 mins. Yield 1 stick. Put the stick of butter between two large pieces of wax paper. Using a rolling pin, press down on the butter.
Roll it out they way you would roll out a pie crust. Rate This Recipe. I don't like this at all. It's not the worst. Sure, this will do. I'm a fan—would recommend. I love it! Thanks for your rating! Show Full Recipe. Your Privacy Rights. Instead of microwaving an entire stick of butter that can risk over-softening, or even worse, melting it completely, convert this appliance into a stream room by trapping warm moisture in it.
To do so, fill a microwave-safe container with a cup or two of water. Microwave the liquid for two minutes, creating sufficient steam in the appliance's interior that'll help soften the butter. Meanwhile, cut the stick of butter into smaller pieces, maximizing the surface area exposed. Place them in a large bowl or rimmed plate, spreading them out to not create one bunched-up pile. Next, carefully remove the hot water, and place the bowl with butter inside the microwave as quickly as possible while letting minimal steam escape.
This method will help quickly soften without completely melting your butter in just a few minutes. Maximize the butter's surface area to help quickly soften it by cutting a larger stick into smaller pieces. Not only will this make your butter more manageable when creaming it in a mixer or rolling it into a dough, but it'll also increase the temperature by exposing the colder molecules to warmer air. If the recipe allows it, cut the butter into small two-by-two-centimeter cubes for maximum results.
When pressed for time, you can also quickly soften butter using a hot glass container to create a warm atmosphere for increasing the temperature.
Use a glass container like a bowl or mug large enough to cover the quantity of butter needed, and fill it with boiling water. Let the container absorb the heat from the water and once it becomes very hot, empty it.
Quickly dab the excess moisture from the container, place the butter on a solid, heat-proof surface, and put the hot container upside down to cover the butter entirely.
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