What is Short about Shortbread?

Why is shortbread called shortbread? Learn the answer, plus the remarkable science, math, and history of this tender, crumbly, delicious cookie that's super easy to make!

Whenever I have a craving for a cookie that doesn't take too much effort, I make a batch of shortbread. The best shortbread cookie recipes contain only 3 ingredients, and you can make flavor variations, like lemon shortbread cookies. You can even make shortbread cutout cookies shaped and decorated to celebrate any occasion.

Curious person that I am, I have often wondered about the name shortbread. What's short about it? And why is it associated with Scotland? Friends, I'm here to answer those burning questions for you!

It was even said that "Mary Stuart, the 16th century Queen of Scots, was famously fond of shortbread and contributed to the beloved pastry's elevation in status," according to The History of Shortbread.

Of course, shortbread didn't stay focused in Scotland - this cookie's popularity is universal. Walkers Shortbread is exported around the world in their iconic Royal Stewart tartan.

Shortbread through history

As a a brief summary, here's what we know so far:

• Medieval Scotland: Shortbread evolved from leftover bread dough baked into crisp biscuits.
• 1500s: Mary Queen of Scots became associated with shortbread.
• 1736: The first printed shortbread recipe appears.
• Today: Scottish shortbread is enjoyed worldwide.

I must say that as an Outlander fan (and the reason I got hooked on Scotland in the first place), I loved discovering that Walker's even had an Outlander tie-in (based on the STARZ TV show and the book series by Diana Gabaldon)!

So we so far have lots of info here: definitions, history, and some math, too (yay!). But nary a word about why it's called shortbread.

But what about the name?

We're getting closer, but we've still not answered the etymology question: why is it called shortbread?

Well, Many Eats mentions:

(i)n medieval times, the word "short" applied to crisp, crumbly things. In the 17th century, this term began to include baked goods such as bread, cakes, and biscuits rich in fat such as shortening or butter.

Ironically enough, those medieval chefs described not only the name of the pastry, but what happens chemically in the dough! They may not have known why butter did that, but just observed that it did.

For that, let's turn to HuffPost Taste:

Shortening got its name because of what it does to flour. Introducing fat into baked goods interferes with the formation of the gluten matrix in the dough. As a result of its interference, gluten strands end up shorter which in turn creates a softer, more crumbly baked good.

It's the reason that cakes and pastries are soft and breads not so much. But funnily enough, shortening got its name way before anyone knew anything about the chemical reaction of fat and gluten, and that's because the word short used to mean tender in reference to food.

Now we're getting somewhere! Math and science in one little cookie. Fabulous!

Shortbread math

I mentioned above that shortbread has a recipe ratio of 3 : 2 : 1 flour : fat : sugar (by weight - I recommend using a kitchen scale for accuracy), and you can scale the recipe up or down using this ratio.

In the table below, the ingredient amounts given are perfect for baking an 8- x 8-inch or 9- x 9-inch baking pan, and it makes about 32 1- x 2-inch bars:

Since butter makes up two-thirds of the flour weight, that's a baker's ratio of 67% (the percentage of an ingredient with respect to flour), and it's what gives shortbread its rich flavor and famously crumbly texture.

It's important to note that the recipe ratio is just a starting point. There are many different versions of the flour : fat : sugar ratios in various shortbread recipes, and how soft, sweet, or buttery the results are varies considerably. Interesting, considering that you'd think only having three ingredients wouldn't leave much wriggle room. My traditional shortbread cookie recipe as written has a little more butter than the recipe ratio would suggest (due to rounding volume to weight measurements).

Here is a more concise view of what each ingredient contributes to a shortbread recipe:

1. Flour: Provides structure so the cookies hold their shape. More flour gives a firmer, sturdier texture. Decrease the flour, and you have a more delicate texture
2. Butter: Coats the flour particles to limit gluten formation. Thus it creates tenderness. More butter makes softer, richer shortbread
3. Sugar: Adds sweetness and a delicate crispiness. More sugar creates a crisper finish

If you change the balance and you change the cookie. That's the magic of shortbread - tiny adjustments can make a surprisingly big difference when there are only three ingredients in the bowl!