So you want to bake right now but….CRAP! You forgot to set your butter out to get to room temperature! This article for those exact moments! I answer questions like—does my butter really need to be at room temperature? And how do I get my butter to room temperature quickly without melting it? If you’ve found yourself in this position before, read on.
What EXACTLY is room temperature butter?
Room temperature butter refers to butter that is between 65 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s colder than the average room temperature (around 70-72F) but much warmer than it would be in the fridge (somewhere in the 30s).
Apart from the science of it all, you can tell when your butter is at room temperature because you will be able to press your finger into it and it will create an indent without indenting all the way down to the plate or being too glossy and shiny.
But WHY does butter need to be at room temperature for baking?
Repeat after me: If a recipe calls for room temperature butter, then my butter needs to be at room temperature, no cheating!
Not every dessert recipe calls for room temperature butter. In fact all pastry dough needs cold cold butter to create yummy flaky layers (see my homemade fruit pop tart, brown sugar cinnamon pop tart or creamy apple pie recipe for such a recipe)
However, for cookies, cakes and other confections, your butter needs to be at room temperature!
When the butter is at room temperature, it mixes into the batter way more easily than if it were cold. Cold butter is hard and doesn’t mix well with the other ingredients for cookies and cakes.
Softened butter allows for the sugar to penetrate it enough to create air bubbles that ultimately bake up and create a fluffy, light texture!
Is my butter too soft to bake with?
When softening butter, you can feel a bit like goldy locs. Your butter can be too hard, too soft or just right!
Too Hard
As mentioned above, butter that is too hard to bake with will be 60F or less. I’m giving the temperature a bit of wiggle room because in a pinch I’ve used slightly cold butter and just beat in with a stand mixer before adding in the sugar to encourage it to get to room temp a little faster!
Butter that is too hard will also not have much of an indent when you press a finger into it.
How to fix butter that is too hard? Either keep waiting or utilize one of the butter softening methods I lay out below.
Too Soft
Alternatively, you can take your butter too far in the opposite direction! This one is SO frustrating because either one of two things happened:
- you let it sit out for too long and it’s gotten too soft, glossy and shiny
- you tried to microwave it and half melted it!
Butter that is too soft will sit around 70F or higher. When you press a finger into it, your finger will easily pass through the butter and touch the surface on which the butter is resting.
How to fix butter that is too soft? Return the butter to the fridge for 10 minutes or so until it slightly firms up again but doesn’t get completely hard!
Just Right
And alas, goldy locs was content! Butter that is just right will be between 62 and 68 degrees (this is a very lenient scale but the most accurate will be between 65 and 67 degrees).
You’ll be able to press your finger into the softened butter and it will make an indent but will maintain some resistance. That’s butter that is just right!
Read on to learn my 3 favorite methods for how to get your butter to room temperature quickly without melting it!
3 ways to get your butter to room temperature quickly
The quick but not hasty method
This method for getting butter to room temperature is very very easy! Simply cut the butter into 1 inch pieces and set it on a plate. Let it sit out for 15-20 minutes and it will get to room temperature much faster than if it were in a full block.
You may say “I don’t even have 15 minutes!” But that’s time you could use to set out and measure out the other ingredients! Or, if you’re like me and can’t bake in a messy kitchen, take 15-20 minutes to tidy up any counters and clear out the sink or dirty dishes to start with a clean slate!
The defrost method
Throwing butter in the microwave to soften it is normally on the list of mortal sins in the baking world—but times and technology are evolving.
Many modern microwaves have a “soften butter” setting. If you are one of the lucky ones with such a feature, microwave your butter on the soften butter setting for about 30 seconds!
If you’re in the majority like the rest of us, there’s still a way for you to have success!
Chop the butter into 1 inch cubes and arrange them on a microwave safe plate. Defrost the butter cubes on the lowest setting for 10 seconds. Then flip each cube and defrost again for 5 seconds.
Any butter softening method that uses the microwave is a risky one, so pay attention while you do this and know that you’re living on the edge you risk taker you!
The body warmth method
Umm, I probably shouldn’t be putting this in an official blog post but hey, when in a bind, this works!
Only use this method if you’re making the dessert for yourself or your family!
While you set out the other ingredients and prep your space, place the butter somewhere on your person. A nice hug on the hip works best for me, right between my leggings and my hip. Or even between the inner elbow and forearm. Don’t underestimate the heat that the good Lord gave ya!
If you try any of these methods for getting your butter to room temperature quickly, let me know how they work for you! I’ve done them all and they really do work!
Hopefully this post was helpful, especially if you were a previous skeptic of the butter needing to be at room temperature!
Happy Buttery Baking!
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