Doughs & batters
Lemon myrtle shortbread dough
Backhousia citriodora · A flavored variation of classic 3:2:1 shortbread dough in which ground, dried lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) leaf is folded into the butter and icing sugar before the flour is added, producing a tender, pale, melt-in-the-mouth shortbread base that is chilled, rolled or sliced, and baked. Treated here as a reusable foundational dough rather than a finished biscuit.
The formula
3:2:1 plain flour:butter:icing sugar; +1 tbsp ground lemon myrtle per 250 g flour
Rice flour or cornflour (typically 1 part per 6 parts plain flour) is folded in for extra shortness; butter is softened but cool, not melted, and icing sugar is sifted.
Identity
- Built on the classic 3:2:1 shortbread ratio by weight of plain flour, butter and icing sugar
- Uses icing/powdered sugar (not caster) for a fine, non-grainy crumb
- Perfumed with ground dried Backhousia citriodora leaf for a lemongrass-citrus aroma
- Often fortified with rice flour or cornflour for extra shortness and pale bake
- Contains no chemical leavening; relies on high butter for tenderness
- Always chilled and either rolled-and-cut or sliced from a log before baking
Ingredients
| Base | plain (all-purpose) flour | Sifted; provides the structural shortbread crumb in roughly 3 parts by weight to 2 parts butter. |
| Fat | unsalted butter, softened | Soft but cool (~18-20°C); the 2-part butter component is what makes the dough short and sandy. |
| Sweetener | icing (powdered) sugar, sifted | 1 part by weight; finer than caster so it dissolves into the butter without grain. |
| Flavor | ground dried lemon myrtle leaf | ~1 tbsp per 250 g flour; blitzed with a little sugar if starting from whole dried leaves to release oils. |
| Thickener | rice flour (or cornflour/cornstarch) | Usually ~1 part to 6 parts plain flour; softens gluten and gives a paler, more tender crumb. |
| Seasoning | fine sea salt | A pinch; sharpens the citrus and balances the butter. |
Method
- 1Cream softened butter and sifted icing sugar in a stand mixer or by hand until pale, smooth and just fluffy.Distributes the fine icing sugar evenly through the fat so the crumb stays short rather than grainy.
- 2Stir the ground lemon myrtle (and any ground nuts or wattleseed) into the creamed butter until evenly tinted.The volatile citral oils in the leaf bind to the fat phase, carrying flavour evenly through the dough.
- 3Fold in sifted plain flour, rice flour and salt by hand or pulse in a food processor just until the mixture clumps together.Minimal handling limits gluten development so the baked dough stays tender and short.
- 4Press the dough into a flat disc, wrap in baking paper, and chill 1.5-2 hours until firm (or form a log for slice-and-bake).Firming the butter lets the dough roll cleanly, hold a cut shape, and bake without spreading.
- 5Roll the chilled dough between two sheets of baking paper to 5-8 mm thick, or unwrap and slice the log into rounds.Baking paper prevents sticking without adding extra flour, which would toughen the dough.
- 6Cut into shapes, transfer to lined trays, and bake at ~150°C until edges are just turning pale gold.Low, slow baking sets the crumb without browning the volatile lemon myrtle oils, preserving their citrus aroma.
Techniques that matter
High-ratio creaming of butter and icing sugar
Aerates the fat only enough to lighten texture while keeping the dough dense and short.
Minimal mixing after flour is added
Shortbread is named for its 'short' crumb; overworking develops gluten and toughens the biscuit.
Mandatory chill before shaping
Re-firms the butter so the dough can be rolled, cut, or sliced cleanly and hold its shape in the oven.
Slice-and-bake log shaping (optional)
Allows the dough to be stored frozen and sliced fresh for baking, useful for make-ahead bakeries.
Variations & derivatives
Macadamia and lemon myrtle shortbreadAustralia (SBS / Cook Up)
Adds 100 g toasted macadamias processed with the flours for a nutty, native-ingredient shortbread; sometimes finished with a sprinkle of lemon myrtle on the warm biscuit.
Wattleseed and lemon myrtle shortbreadAustralia (Sydney Wildflower Nursery)
Adds 3 tsp ground wattleseed alongside the lemon myrtle for a nutty, coffee-like warmth.
White chocolate-dipped lemon myrtle shortbreadAustralasia (Women's Weekly)
Plain flour + 2 tbsp rice flour base; baked biscuits are dipped in melted white chocolate and topped with pistachio or dehydrated strawberry.
Slice-and-bake lemon myrtle roundsAustralia (SBS)
Dough is shaped into a log, chilled or frozen, and sliced into rounds as needed - same ratio, different shaping technique.
Used in these dishes
Substitutions
- rice flour → cornflour (cornstarch) — 1:1 swap; gives an even finer, more delicate crumb.
- icing (powdered) sugar → caster sugar — Use 1:1 by weight; produces a grittier, more traditional Scottish-style crumb and a slightly darker bake.
- unsalted butter → salted butter — 1:1 swap; omit or reduce the added pinch of sea salt.
- ground dried lemon myrtle → lemon verbena (1 tsp) or kaffir lime leaf (½ tsp) per 250 g flour — Gives a different citrus profile; verbena is floral, kaffir is more peppery - not a true substitute.changes result
Troubleshooting
Dough is sticky and impossible to roll
Butter too warm or dough under-chilled → Return to fridge for 30-60 minutes; if still soft, work between two sheets of baking paper rather than adding more flour.
Dough won't come together and looks sandy
Butter too cold or insufficient creaming → Work the dough briefly between warm palms or pulse a few more times; a teaspoon of cold milk or water can bring it together.
Biscuits spread and lose their shape
Dough not chilled, oven too cool, or butter too soft → Chill cut shapes 15 min on the tray before baking and confirm oven is at 150-160°C.
Flavour tastes sharp, bitter or soapy
Too much lemon myrtle, or old/stored leaf that has lost top notes and developed bitterness → Reduce to ~2 tsp per 250 g flour and use freshly dried, brightly aromatic leaf.