I use my microwave. I put the butter seam-side down and run it for 10 seconds on power level 5 (half power for my machine). Then, I flip the butter over so that it's seam-side up and do another 10 seconds at power level 5. This makes my butter evenly soft with no hard chunks in the center, and no liquid melting. The timing and power will be different for different machines, so test it out gently with yours. Start with less time at lower power levels, you'll eventually find the right one. It's a lot faster than trying to leave it out (where the dog won't steal it, haha) for an indeterminate amount of time.

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