How can you tell when your butterhas softened?
Butter is softened when you can easily squish it between your thumb and forefinger or,when pressedwiththeback of a spoon,it hasan indentation, yetdoesnot lose its shape.
How long does it take to softenbutter?
Settingoutchilled butteratroom temperaturefor 30 to 45 minutes beforeusinggives it time to soften.The same approach works for frozen butter,though itcan take a couple of hours.
Shortcuts toSoftened Butter
If you’re looking for ways to soften butter quickly without melting it,check out these faster alternatives.
Quick: Cutting Butter into Small Cubes
Cuttingbutter into small cubeshelpsto soften the butter inabout15 minutes.You can take this time to prep the rest of the ingredients needed for your recipe.Thesmaller the pieces,the more quickly the butter will get to room temperature.The easiest way to do this is:
Cut the stick of butterinhalf(the long way)and stack thehalveson top ofone another.
Cut thestackedhalvesin halfa*gain (the long way).
Stack the sticks of butter and cut perpendicularlyinto small cubes.
A Little Quicker:Pound and flatten butter
Placethebutter stick in a resealable plastic bag or between two sheets of waxed or parchment paper, then poundand rollwith a rolling pin to flatten and soften.
In a Few Minutes:Grating Butter
The quickest of the three methods is to grate the butter.Partiallyunwrap the butter, thenholdthe wrapped portionwhileusing the largest holes on abox gratertocreate a pile of freshly grated buttershavingsthat will soften in a matter of minutes.
In a Pinch:Microwave butter
Though not recommended for baking, you can use the microwave to soften butter in a pinch–but keep a close eye on it!Butter melts readily,which makes iteasy to accidentally take it from solid to liquid in just a few seconds.Softened butter and melted butter are not the same. Using meltedbutterwill change the texture of whatever you’re baking.Ifyou only want the butter to soften for spreading, microwave it ontheDefrost setting (30%) in 5-second increments until it’s softened as desired.
What is your tried-and-truemethod forsofteningbutter?
Learn more about butter,includingrecipesand othertips.
