Q&A for How to Soften Butter

There are lots of different ways! It always helps to have a butter dish out on the counter so you always have some soft butter on hand. You can also soften your butter on the stovetop, or stick it in a butter bell—this is a device that helps the butter stay fresh by keeping it at a certain temperature.

Check the wrapper; properly softened butter will leave a residue of fat on the wrapping (cold butter won't do this). Press the butter with your finger––properly softened butter will form a small dent but still keeps the shape of the stick. Or, try bending the butter gently; softened butter will have a little give, unlike cold butter; it shouldn't break or crack––if it does, it is too softened and needs to be refrigerated a little again. Butter that is still too cold or that is softened too much will cause the baked goods to be either too hard (cold butter) or too dense (overly soft butter). Aim for cool room temperature softened butter.

At room temperature, a stick of butter will take about 30 minutes to soften. Small amounts take less time, while larger amounts may take longer. Heating butter can speed up the softening time but it's very easy to overheat and melt it, so go easy if using one of the heating methods suggested above.

Try cutting the butter before refrigerating it after bringing it home. Open the wrapping on a stick of butter and cut at each tablespoon interval (as marked on the package), all the way along the stick. Rewrap the butter and place in the butter container or butter holder of your fridge. When you need butter, just remove the tablespoon amounts needed and place on the bench with your other ingredients––the small portions will soften quickly while assembling the other ingredients and you already know the exact measurements!

It depends on your room temperature, but it may take about 30 minutes.