This Is the 1 Step You Should Never Skip When Baking Cookies

If you make cookies often, you’ve likely come across the instruction to refrigerate your dough before baking. It might be tempting to overlook this step so you can, well, eat your cookies sooner. But we promise that it’s worth the wait. If you allow your dough to chill, for at least 30 minutes and up to a day, your cookies will bake more evenly — and taste better to boot.

Related: How to Bake the Perfect Cookie with Tips From Zoë François

Why you should refrigerate your cookie dough

Refrigerating your cookie dough before baking serves a few purposes:

The dough will be easier to roll out

Think about your favorite cut-out sugar cookies. If you tried to roll out this type of cookie dough straight from the mixer, it would likely be sticky and a challenge to work with. That’s because the butter (or other fat) you’ve beaten to make the dough has softened. Refrigeration firms up both the butter and the dough itself, which allows for a drier surface to use your rolling pin.

Your cookies will be less likely to spread in the oven

Firmer butter will also take longer to melt and pool in the oven, which means that your cookies will retain their shape better during baking. This is important not just for your gingerbread people — who might otherwise look like unidentifiable blobs and limbs — but also for drop cookies like chocolate chip cookies or snickerdoodles, that are just as prone to spreading and losing their mounded shape as they bake.

Another reason your cookies will spread less after a rest is the redistribution of liquid in the dough. Given time, both the flour and sugar in cookie dough will gradually absorb water from the eggs, butter, and other wet ingredients. Sugar does this because it is hygroscopic, which means it readily attracts and holds onto water. In flour, the gluten-forming proteins and starch granules act like a sponge to retain water.

Your cookies will have a superior flavor and texture

As the sugar and flour absorb water from the wet ingredients, there’s less “extra” water in the dough. The result is a drier dough with a greater concentration of sugar and other flavor compounds. That means that your cookies will spread less, have chewier centers, and be more flavorful.

Additionally, when the sugar becomes more concentrated and evenly distributed, your cookies will brown more readily and consistently, which produces a nicely delicate and crispy exterior.

Frequently asked Questions

How long should you refrigerate your dough?

Generally speaking, 24 hours is an ideal length of time to refrigerate cookie dough. A longer period will have a negligible impact on your cookies, and dough that rests for longer than 72 hours might actually become too dry. However, if you’re working within a tight window, just 30 minutes of refrigerated rest will noticeably improve your baked cookies.

Can you just freeze your dough?

While freezing will certainly firm up the dough more quickly — making it easier to roll and less prone to spreading — it’s not likely to benefit the flavor and texture of the cookies in the same way a longer refrigerated rest will. The water will freeze solid and won’t be absorbed by the sugar and flour. Essentially, by freezing the dough, you’re locking in the moisture, rather than allowing it to redistribute throughout the dough.

When to not chill your dough

Keep in mind that not all cookies benefit from the refrigeration step. Generally speaking, cookies meant to be thin or crispy (like tuiles or biscotti) or soft and cakey (such as black and white cookies) should be baked as soon as your dough is ready. This will ensure you get the desired look, flavor, and texture.

When making cookies, you’re best off following the recipe. To ignore the refrigeration step may mean you get to eat cookies sooner, but they won't be quite as good as they could. So, chill out — and let your dough chill. 

Read the original article on Food & Wine