Food - Drink
How Long You Should Plan To Soften Butter Before Baking
By Haldan Kirsch
There will be plenty of recipes that call for softened butter in baking, so if you refrigerate your butter, there are hacks to soften it in a faster time. However, it is still best to properly prepare and have consistently softened butter.
The first method can be the easiest, and it is to simply keep the butter you plan on baking with out of refrigeration. Unsalted butter can last up to a week out of refrigeration, due to its high fat content.
If you don’t prefer to keep your butter out of refrigeration, most sources will suggest up to two hours for your butter to soften enough for proper baking utility. However, sitting it near a preheating oven can shorten this time down to half an hour or less.