Preparation
- Knead the butter, sugar, salt and flour together to form a smooth dough. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
- Dust a clean surface with a little flour and roll out the dough to form a thick rectangle roughly 15cm x 28cm.
- Lie the dough on baking paper and prick evenly with a fork, then place on a baking tray and bake for 25 minutes - if the shortbread begins to colour too quickly cover the baking tray in foil for the final 10 minutes.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and cut into strips while still hot. Leave to cool completely before dusting lightly with sugar.
Good shortbread should be buttery and crumbly with a slight hint of saltiness to cut through the sweet flavour. Try using a cutter to make different shapes, perfect for giving as edible gifts.