Exactly How To Soften Cookie Dough - I Test 5 Methods [Pics] - Pantry & Larder (2024)

FAQs

How do you soften cookie dough quickly? ›

put them for a few minutes on a radiator, put them under a lamp (near the light bulb), heat them up quickly with a hair dryer, place them in the microwave oven for a few seconds in defrosting mode.

Brown sugar is a common ingredient in homemade cookie recipes, so it makes sense that adding a bit of it to a premade mix will make your dessert taste more authentic. According to Fine Cooking, brown sugar can make cookies chewier and moister, which can help give premade dough a homemade twist.

Microwaving them. If you cover your cookies with a wet paper towel and nuke them for a few seconds, they should soften up enough to eat.

Ripening is just a fancy term for resting cookie dough in the fridge before baking it. Some recipes call for a quick chilling, while others recommend up to 72 hours of resting before baking them. This resting time does two crucial things for cookies.

Once the dough has chilled, let it warm up at room temperature until it's just pliable (about 5 to 10 minutes). Don't let it get too warm or you'll defeat the purpose of chilling the dough all together.

You can microwave cookie dough to soften it, but be careful not to overcook it. You want the dough to be soft enough to work with but not so cooked that it is difficult to handle. If the dough is too soft, it may be difficult to form into shapes or hold its shape when baked.

An excess of flour can create a stiff, dry dough. A perfectly kneaded dough springs back when poked with your finger and will feel soft and silky in texture.

Vinegar breaks down the proteins in bread dough, causing the gluten to tenderize. Over time, new – and, more importantly, stronger – gluten networks form. This results in bread with a perfect rise in a shorter amount of time.

Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

What makes a cookie soft and chewy or crisper? ›

Butter contributes milk solids and water to a cookie, both of which soften it. Brown sugar contributes molasses – again, a softener. Using lower-moisture sugar (granulated) and fat (vegetable shortening), plus a longer, slower bake than normal, produces light, crunchy cookies.

Chewy cookies

Sugar dissolved in baking forms a syrup as the dough heats up. Different types of sugars affect the texture because they absorb different amounts of water. Remember moisture is the key! White sugar creates crispier cookies and brown sugar creates chewier cookies.

Increasing water in the digestive tract can make stool softer and easier to pass. A good sign that you're drinking enough water is if your urine is pale yellow in color. Eat more fiber. Fiber can add bulk to the stool, which can stimulate the bowels and help move stool through the digestive tract.

Storage Temperature Matters

Unless otherwise noted, don't store cookies in the refrigerator: The cool air can rob cookies of their moisture and make them taste bland. In general, store cookies at room temperature or freeze them, as specified above.

Popping your dough in the fridge allows the fats to cool. As a result, the cookies will expand more slowly, holding onto their texture. If you skip the chilling step, you're more likely to wind up with flat, sad disks instead of lovely, chewy cookies. Cookies made from chilled dough are also much more flavorful.

We recommend storing your cookie dough in a small airtight container in your fridge or freezer, depending on when you want to bake it. As a general rule, any cookie dough left on the counter at room temperature will be good for 2-4 hours but then may risk going bad, especially if it is already past its “best by” date.

Chilling cookie dough controls spread.

Chilling cookie dough before baking solidifies the fat in the cookies. As the cookies bake, the fat in the chilled cookie dough takes longer to melt than room-temperature fat. And the longer the fat remains solid, the less cookies spread.

Method 2: Use A Microwave

This is a speedy way to instantly make your cookies soft again. However, keep in mind this only applies to cookies you will eat right away. This method can leave your cookies drier than before after they get cool.

Allowing the bread dough to rest for the 18 hours will allow the bread to develop the gluten which gives the bread the chewy texture. This will reduce the need for kneading.

Does microwaving cookie dough work? ›

Yes, you can microwave cookie dough in a mug. Just make sure to use a mug that is microwave-safe. Simply place the cookie dough in the mug, and microwave for a few seconds until the dough is cooked. For best results, microwave the dough for 30-60 seconds, or until it is soft and pliable.

Reheat them in the microwave on medium setting for 15 to 20 seconds. This should be enough time for the cookies to soak in the moisture from the paper towel. If you take them out and they haven't softened enough yet, wrap them in another damp paper towel and microwave again for 10 more seconds.

Microwave the dough on full power for 40-60 seconds, or until the dough looks dry on top and has puffed up slightly. Leave for at least 20 seconds before tucking in as the cookie is very hot!

Carbon dioxide is responsible for all the bubbles that make holes in bread, making it lighter and fluffier. Because gas is created as a result of yeast growth, the more the yeast grows, the more gas in the dough and the more light and airy your bread loaf will be.

Add water slowly, and keep mixing until all the water is absorbed by AASHIRAAD atta. If you feel like the dough is too hard, add some more water and keep kneading with your knuckles and fingers. Gently stretch the atta dough while kneading to make it even softer and easier to work with.

If the dough contains too much flour compared to water, the result will be a dry, tough pizza dough that's hard to work with. The simple solution is therefore to add less flour. The higher the hydration (the more water the dough contains), the softer, stretchier, and more pliable it will be.

The primary tenderizing ingredients are sugar (which draws water away from the flour, so less gluten can form) and fat (which interferes with gluten development). Start by reducing the quantity of sugar and fat by 25 percent.

The acidic properties of vinegar inhibit gluten, some will say. This theory proposes that once the water and flour are combined, gluten starts forming, causing the dough to grow tough. Adding an acid, the theory goes, stops the gluten in its tracks and rescues the crust from toughness.

Well, the long and short answer to chewy cookies is it's all about the moisture content. Cookies that are dense and chewy incorporate more moisture into the batter. This can be achieved by making substitutions with wet and dry ingredients, or even just changing the way you incorporate certain ingredients.

The most common reason that cookies are tough is that the cookie dough was mixed too much. When flour is mixed into the dough, gluten begins to form. Gluten helps hold baked goods together, but too much gluten can lead to tough cookies.

Does melted butter make cookies chewy? ›

Yes, using melted butter in cookies gives the best chewy texture and softened butter gives the soft and cakey texture.

When added to dough, baking soda releases a carbon dioxide gas which helps leaven the dough, creating a soft, fluffy cookie. Baking soda is generally used in recipes that contain an acidic ingredient such as vinegar, sour cream or citrus.

Lecithin is also added to cookie formulas to improve dough handling and the cookie dough's overall quality, with significant improvements in machinability as well as dough conditioning and strengthening.

If you find that your cookies are dry and hard to work with because of insufficient moisture, you can add some water to your dough by spritzing a bit of water on your rolled-out cookie dough or giving your dough a splash of cold water before kneading it to incorporate the water.

Baking cookies quickly in a hot oven – at 375 degrees F as opposed to a lower temperature – will make for soft results. They'll bake fast instead of sitting and drying out in the oven's hot air. Ever so slightly underbaking your cookies will give you softer results than cooking them the full amount the recipe says.

The temperature can be a big factor when storing cookies. Unless otherwise noted, don't store cookies in the refrigerator: The cool air can rob cookies of their moisture and make them taste bland. In general, store cookies at room temperature or freeze them, as specified above.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Next, put your cookies on a wire rack with a tray of water underneath. Reheat the cookies for 5 to 10 minutes. You can also spritz the cookies with water and cover them with foil to keep them moist.

They go from soft to hard because they start to dry out, and it begins as soon as you pull them from the oven. (Yikes.) Whatever moisture is left in the cookies is always in a state of evaporation. At the same time, the sugars and starches are solidifying.

How do you revive hard cookie dough? ›

The best way to soften cookie dough is by leaving it in a warm place such as near a hot stove or under a lamp. Other methods for softening cookie dough include using a hot water bath, microwaving it on very low power, hitting it with a rolling pin, and cutting it into smaller pieces.