How to Soften Butter: 6 Ways to Soften Butter

Sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, enriched breads, and other baking recipes often call for soft butter to achieve the right texture and to ensure the ingredients are thoroughly mixed in the batter. Softened butter assists with:

1. 1. Better emulsion: Butter has a high fat content, which requires emulsion (mixing two immiscible ingredients) at room temperature to create a cohesive batter. Butter in itself is an emulsion of water and fat.
2. 2. Easier creaming: The first step in many baking recipes is beating the butter (also called creaming), usually with sugar, until it becomes light and fluffy. Creaming is difficult to do with solid butter. Use room temperature butter to get the best results.
3. 3. Even baking: When the butter, eggs, and any other refrigerated ingredients are all at room temperature, all elements can bake more evenly. If the butter is cold, it will melt during cooking and could lead to spreading and uneven baking, especially with cookies.

The softening time for butter can vary depending on the method used. Below are the best methods for softening unsalted butter, from quickest to slowest:

1. 1. The microwave method: Microwave the required amount of butter in five-second increments, flipping after each increment. Stop once the butter easily indents when you poke it with your finger, a total time of about 20 seconds.
2. 2. The grating method: This method works best for frozen butter and there is no need to defrost it beforehand. On the largest holes of a box grater (also called a cheese grater), grate the frozen butter like you would a block of cheese. The box grater leaves you with small pieces that soften almost immediately.
3. 3. The water bath method: Cut the butter into small chunks and place inside a sealable plastic bag. Then submerge the plastic bag into a large bowl filled with warm water (not hot water, which could cause the butter to liquify). Check the butter every few minutes to ensure it’s not melting too quickly. This should take a total time of about 10 minutes.
4. 4. The pounding method: Take a cold stick of butter and place it between two pieces of wax paper or parchment paper. With a rolling pin, pound the butter into a thin sheet. The more surface area there is, the quicker the butter softens. Repeat this process until the butter holds a finger indent, or leave the pounded butter on the counter for 10 minutes to soften further.
5. 5. The mixing method: Cut the butter into small cubes and place them in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. On a low speed, beat the cold butter until it comes together in a cohesive mixture and feels like it’s the same temperature as your finger. Scrape the mixing bowl periodically, mixing in each piece of butter. In total, this should take you about 10–15 minutes.
6. 6. The room temperature method: This method takes the longest but is an effective way to soften butter. Take the required amount of butter out of the refrigerator and let it sit out at room temperature until it becomes completely softened. There is no chance of the butter melting completely if the temperature remains around 74 degrees Fahrenheit. This method will take one hour at minimum.

Become a better baker with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Dominique Ansel, Joanne Chang, Gordon Ramsay, Chef Thomas Keller, Mashama Bailey, and more.