Need to soften fridge-cold butter for pastry dough?
The challenge is that butter stored in the fridge is rock-hard. If you forget to take it out in advance, waiting feels endless.
Luckily, as an experienced home baker, I've got a reliable trick to soften butter quickly and evenly—without melting it.
Place the butter between sheets of parchment paper and roll it out with a rolling pin:
1. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface.
2. Place the butter on it and fold the sheet over to fully cover the butter.
3. Roll the rolling pin over the parchment paper until the butter is about 1/2 cm thick.
There you have it—your butter is softened and ready for pastry prep in minutes! :-)
If you don't have parchment paper, these proven methods work wonders:
- Cut the butter into small pieces and place them in a bowl. Set that bowl inside another with hot water at the bottom.
- Put the butter in a bowl and microwave for a few seconds. Once it starts softening, mash it with a fork—don't overdo it or it'll melt.
