Today we are talking about how to soften butter properly plus why it matters!
It might not seem like an important point, but baking is a very scientific process.
The ingredients and the state they are in will make a huge difference.
Since we are coming into the Christmas season, you are probably doing more baking than usual. I have had several friends asking me about butter and baking, so I thought this might come in handy for others too.
How To Soften Butter Properly Plus Why It Matters
Food Science
It has been a few years since we shared a food science post on Chemistry Cachet. Baking is one of the most intricate sciences, and it is fascinating all the chemistry going on inside of a recipe. The first type of chemistry I studied in college was baking! It got me started in this field of research, and one of the first topics I wrote about.
We have expanded our website into cleaning and skincare, but I still LOVE talking about the chemistry going on in food. It can make such a difference in how well a recipe turns out.
Recipes Are More Than Just The Ingredients
My husband never knew it made a difference with how you put ingredients together until I taught him how to make cookies. He tried doing it on his own, and they turned out pretty bad. It was the same ingredients I used, but his cookies were hard and didn’t taste good.
It was from not putting the ingredients together in the right order! Plus, he used cold butter.
Butter is so important in your baked goods.
If a recipe calls for softened butter, then you need to make sure the butter is softened to get the most out of the recipe.
Butter in Baking is All About The Fat!
It all comes down to the fat in butter for your baking. Different recipes do better with different fat molecules. The reason for softened butter is for the sugar molecules to go through the fat, making for a creamy batter due to tiny air bubbles throughout the mixture.
This is why for almost all cookie recipes you make, it calls for softened butter.
If your butter is too melted, it will not create this little air pockets and your butter/sugar mixture will not be creamy. If your butter is too cold, it creates a firm mixture and less expansion in the baking. This is why cold butter is used in things like pie dough or biscuits.
Softened Butter Is For Flavor and Texture
Softened butter not only gives you the perfect flavor in your baked goods, but it is also for the texture! Texture is truly the key to making the perfect treat like cookies.
Like I mentioned in my story above, you can use all the same ingredients in a recipe, but if it isn’t in the right state, it won’t turn out. My husband was so surprised when he was making cookies with me.
So, softened butter is important, but let’s look at ways to soften it right so you get the best solution.
How To Soften Butter Properly
The first and best way to soften butter is to gently bring it to room temperature.
Set your butter out on the counter 1-2 hours before you plan to use it. If you live in a colder climate or your house is cooler, you might need the full two hours to get it softened or maybe even a little more.
If you live in a warmer climate or your kitchen is hot from other cooking, it might just take one hour.
How To Soften Butter Quickly
The tip above is the best choice to get the correct consistency, but if you are like me, then you forget to set out the butter all the time!
So, there are some ways you can get the butter to soften quicker.
- First, cut your butter up into slices. I typically just slice up the butter into thin pieces all the way down the stick. You can leave it out on the counter this way which will cut down the softening time.
- Or if you are even shorter on time, you can take the thin slices and mash them up until they are softened.
- You can also add to the microwave for about 5-10 seconds until just barely soft. Be careful with this method though. Butter will melt quickly, so the microwave needs to be used gradually when you just want to soften it.
- Another option is making a hot water bath.
Whichever method you choose, just make sure the butter is soft, not melted or starting to melt. This is why leaving it out on the counter for several hours is still your best option.
Don’t Forget The Temperature Of Other Ingredients
When it comes to baking, we know that butter is important! But the other ingredients need to be at a good temperature so it won’t impact the butter. Make sure your eggs aren’t really cold along with things like milk you are adding to the recipe.
This is the same with hot ingredients. Always make sure the temperatures are similar so each ingredient stays in the state it needs to be in for perfect baking.
Check Out My Cookie Baking Secrets
Cookie baking is my specialty! I have found the best little tips to use to make sure your cookies turn out great. Here are some of our popular posts about cookies below:
- How to bake the perfect chocolate chip cookie
- Sugar cookie baking secrets.
- Also, holiday baking tips that you might not know.
I hope this fun little post can help you with your baking this year!
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Good advice
It comes in handy this time of year 🙂
This is awesome! I love baking tips like this. I know from experience, it is really important how you soften butter. I used to just do it in the microwave, and my cookies never turned out right. My grandmother told me to set it out on the counter for 3 hours before baking instead. I was blown away how much better my cookies looked and tasted. It might not seem like that big of a deal, but it is. Even if you think just microwaving is the same thing, it isn’t!
Yes! So many people have said what is the big deal? But you are right, it is not the same thing at all
I use Smart Balance margarine because I am lactose intolerant. I soften my margarine and my cookies come our good. Not hard or too soft.
But good advice for people who don’t know how to cook in the right order.
Hope you are feeling better.
Thanks I am doing much better!