Dough & Pastry 3:2:1
Pie Crust Calculator
Make exactly the pie dough you need for an 8- to 10-inch pie, a deep-dish, a tart or a galette, single or double crust, with all butter, half shortening or lard, and how big to roll it.
How to use it
- Choose the pie or tart and how many.
- Pick single crust, double crust or lattice, and your fat.
- Mix with very cold fat and ice water, chill, then roll each disk to the size shown.
How it works
Classic pie dough follows a 3-2-1 ratio by weight: 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat and 1 part ice water. A 9-inch single crust takes about 300 g of dough; other pies scale by the area of dough they need, and a lattice uses about three quarters of a top crust.
Butter gives the best flavor and flakiest layers; shortening and lard make dough more tender and easier to handle. Salt is about 1% of the flour, and a little sugar suits sweet pies.
Assumptions and limits
- Water is a range: flour and humidity change how much the dough needs.
- Sizes are standard metal or glass pie plates and fluted tart pans.
Tips
- Freeze the cubed butter for 15 minutes before mixing.
- Leave pea-size pieces of fat in the dough; they make the flakes.
- Rest the dough at least an hour so it rolls without shrinking.
Recipes to try it with
Questions
How much pie dough for a 9-inch double crust?
About 600 g of dough: 2½ cups (300 g) flour, 200 g fat and about 100 g ice water, divided into two disks.
What is the 3-2-1 pie dough ratio?
3 parts flour, 2 parts fat and 1 part water by weight, the classic formula for flaky pie crust.
How big should I roll pie dough?
About 3 inches wider than the pie plate and ⅛ inch thick: 12 inches across for a 9-inch pie.
Butter or shortening for pie crust?
Butter tastes best and flakes beautifully; shortening is more forgiving. Half and half gives you some of both.