Scottish Shortbread
Three ingredients, one ratio: pale, crumbly, buttery shortbread.
AI assistance: the introduction, ingredient list, method, tips and FAQ on this page were drafted with an AI writing tool, working from long-established traditional methods. Named editor who reviewed it: owner to supply How we work
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Makes
- 8 petticoat tails
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Course
- Biscuit
- Cuisine
- Scottish
Traditional Scottish shortbread follows a 1 : 2 : 3 ratio of sugar to butter to flour. It should be baked low and slow until pale golden, never brown.
Ingredients
Cups use the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart. Weighing is more accurate.
- 100 g unsalted butter, softened
- 50 g caster sugar (US: superfine sugar), plus extra to sprinkle
- 150 g plain flour (US: all-purpose flour)
- pinch of salt
Equipment
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- 20 cm round tin (shallow)How to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Digital kitchen scalesHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 150°C / 130°C fan / gas 2 / 300°F.
- 2
Beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Work in the flour and salt with a wooden spoon, then your hands, until it forms a smooth dough.
- 3
Press into a 20 cm round tin or roll out to 1 cm thick. Mark into eight wedges ("petticoat tails") and prick all over with a fork.
- 4
Chill for 15 minutes, then bake for 30–35 minutes until pale golden.
- 5
Sprinkle with caster sugar, re-cut along the marks while warm, and leave to cool in the tin.
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Convert tin sizes
Multiply every ingredient by
1.00
Enter tin sizes between 5 and 60 cm.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my shortbread tough?
It was overworked. Mix only until the dough just comes together, so the butter stays in short, crumbly layers.
What is the ratio for shortbread?
The traditional ratio is 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter, 3 parts flour by weight.
How long does shortbread keep?
About 1–2 weeks in an airtight tin.
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Card photos: Scones with jam and cream, a cup of tea and a china teapot, AlphaLemur via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A cream tea with scones, jam and clotted cream, Andy Li via Wikimedia Commons, CC0; A traditional mechanical kitchen scale, Berthold Werner via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; A wooden cooking spoon, Gre123gr via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A display of old decorated biscuit tins, Gryffindor via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; A boxed set of vintage biscuit cutters, Berthold Werner via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A round, deep cake tin, Douglas P Perkins via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0, cropped; Small cakes cooling on a wire rack, James Petts from London, England via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped; Mince pies baked in a bun tray, Jeremy Keith via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped; A strawberry pie in a springform tin, W.carter via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0, cropped; A Bakewell tart with a slice cut, showing the jam and almond filling, Brynn via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; A round loaf of brown soda bread cooling on a wire rack, michael clarke stuff via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped; A slice of lemon drizzle cake served with a cup of tea, Acabashi via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped. All credits: image credits.