If you’ve picked up a cookbook any time recently, you’ve probably noticed a lot of baking recipes asking specifically for softened butter. Often, people will throw a stick of butter into the microwave and heat it up quickly, rather than take a few extra minutes to do it the right way. While it may not sound like a big deal, nuking butter in order to soften it can actually do a lot more harm – especially if you’re making cookies or other types of baked goods that need to expand during the baking process. Heating butter to a temperature that’s too high (in this case, 68%), will ensure that your cookies and cakes don’t rise the way they should, and makes them – quite frankly – not as good. So the next time you need to soften a stick of butter, try these handy little methods instead.
If Your Butter Is Frozen
Use a cheese grater on the largest setting to grate frozen butter into a bowl. Once you’re done, the shavings should be soft enough to whip. Another option is to use a paring knife to cut small slices into a bowl. As long as they’re cut small enough, the butter will warm up quickly enough to be easily whipped into other ingredients.
If Your Butter is Just Refrigerated
If you’ve got 30-60 minutes to spare, the easiest way to soften butter is to just leave it out on the counter at room temperature for half an hour to an hour. The butter will soften slowly without heating up and will be in perfect shape to be whipped.
For those who have less time – or are just impatient (like us), there are a couple of other tried and true methods that won’t take as long. For starters, you can take a still wrapped stick of butter, stick it between two pages of wax paper and smack it a few times – a rolling pin will do. Or really, any type of stick or wooden spoon type of tool. You’ll want to hit it until it’s slightly flattened. This will help break it up and make it easier to use.
As a last resort, you can use the microwave. BUT! Before you do, there are some precautions you should take. First, never heat at full power. You don’t want the butter to melt, or it won’t be as effective in your baking. Heat butter in a microwaveable dish at 30 percent power for 10-15 seconds at a time. Once the butter is just slightly softened (you’ll be able to tell by pushing on it – if it dents, it’s ready), you need to take it out and use it immediately.
Do you have any tricks on how to soften butter? If so, share them with us in the comments section!
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