Softening butter without melting it tip.

keepingquiet

I store mine out of the fridge so it's always soft!

I store mine out of the fridge and it's still only spreadable without help in summer. Frozen north and all that 😉

Traditional French butter cooler
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_butter_dish#:~:text=airtight%20seal%20that-,keeps,-the%20air%20(and

I use an insulated butter dish for butter in use.
I weigh butter from the fridge for a cake recipe, cube it roughly and microwave for 15 seconds.
I also occasionally use spreadable butter from a tub.
Before I found my insulated tin from Lakeland, I made and used a butter cooler. This is a ceramic dish which has a well at the side to put ice cold water. I guess you could fill it with hot water too.
I'll try to find a picture of one.

I have a small tub with a lid and keep it on the windowsill. It keeps it soft without melting. The rest of the block is in the fridge and just refill the post when it's empty. Nothing worse than trying to spread hard butter on toast etc.

I just measure out how much butter I need from the fridge and leave it at room temperature for a while.

I sit my butter dish on top of my air fryer, it’s a stacker & flat on the top, perfect. Or also, to defrost bread.

What a good idea .
I'll try it .

We have a boiling water tap so put a small amount of hot water in a bowl with butter on a plate on top.

keepingquiet

I store mine out of the fridge so it's always soft!

So do I but it's always hard. Only summertime brings spreadable butter to my house!

I think I'm overthinking this!
Lol!

My "everyday" butter is kept out of the fridge but does set harder overnight - especially in the colder months.

If I know I'm going to need soft butter I might balance it on a radiator, put it in the oven (which is probably warming up), or put it on the hob in a pan on lowest.

I wonder how long it takes for 4oz to warm up under a glass?... and do they use a thick heavy glass?
And presumably I'd need to warm the plate too?

Interesting that this is a problem we all have. Interesting because so many of us have gone back to butter after all the hype about saturated fat.
If I remember correctly Lakeland used to sell an insulated butter dish which kept butter cold but still spreadable. Another trick was to stand the butter dish in water and upend a clay plant pot on top. Apparently, the clay absorbs the water and keeps the butter at an even temperature.

How many grams would a Stick(?) of butter be, please?

I "grate" mine off the block with a potato peeler or a gadget I have to shred the rinds off citrus fruits. Could probably use a veg grater. The butter goes room temperature much quicker then.

Yes American stick is 4 oz. I think it would have to be a pint glass 😄

I store mine outside the fridge too, but if you need to melt some for baking this might be useful. I've sometimes ended up with a dish of grease trying to soften it in the microwave.

I store mine out of the fridge so it's always soft!

Yes. But long and thin. Difficult under a glass - unless it's standing on its end...

Not sure Baggs. I think so. Obvs can’t be a large pack.

Interesting. I might try it and see how it compares to putting a small required amount of butter (say for spreading on two slices of bread for my packed lunch) in the microwave for a few seconds.

Will also try with larger amounts. An American 'stick' of butter is 4oz, yes?