Butter Versus Margarine

Short dough can be prepared with butter, margarine, or a combination of the two. Although butter produces the best flavor, it makes the dough hard to manage. Because the temperature range when butter is just the right consistency is so narrow, the butter in the dough will be rock-hard if the dough is stored in the refrigerator and too soft if the dough is left at room temperature. Another disadvantage to using butter is that if too much flour is worked into the dough while it is being rolled out, the dough will not only crumble and be harder to work with, but also will become rubbery and shrink when it is baked. In cold climates, all or part butter can be used more successfully.