Evan's 3-2-1 Pie Crust (2024)

FAQs

What is the formula for 3:2:1 pie dough? ›

This is the easy and famous '3, 2, 1' pie crust. It's 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, and 1 part liquid - along with some salt and/or sugar for flavor.

There's no recipe to follow because it's all about ratios. So what does the 3:2:1 ratio mean? It's simple: three parts flour, two parts butter (though you could use vegetable shortening or lard), and one part water.

The 3:2:1 ratio – with three parts flour, two parts fat, and one part water – creates a dough that is easy to work with and makes for a flaky pastry crust.

Evan Kleiman's Classic 3-2-1 Pie Crust: This is the first pie dough I ever learned to make. It's made up of 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat and 1 part liquid.

popular pie dough formula is called 3-2-1 dough. The numbers refer to the ratio of ingredients by weight: 3 parts flour, 2 parts shortening, and 1 part ice water.

What kind of flour makes the best pie crust? Well, not high-protein bread flour! Use that for your chewy bagels. What you want for pie is flour that yields a tender, flaky crust, which means medium-protein all-purpose flour or low-protein pastry flour.

In this example, the ratio of gravel to sand to cement is still 3 : 2 : 1, so the total number of parts into which the concrete is divided is still 3+2+1=6.

A ratio of 3 to 2 can be written as 3 to 2, 3:2, or 3/2. Furthermore, 3 and 2 can be the quantity or measurement of anything, such as students, fruit, weights, heights, speed and so on. A ratio of 3 to 2 simply means that for every 3 of something, there are 2 of something else, with a total of 5.

A ratio compares any two parts of a whole. For example, the ratio of sugar and salt in a solution is 3:1. It is telling us that in the solution, sugar is three times that of salt. Percentages are a very specific type of ratio.

It is simply made by creating a starter dough with flour and water (sometimes with addition of yeast), which is left to rest for a few days/weeks. This allows the natural microorganisms contained in the flour to grow creating a leavening agent.

Why is my pie crust dough crumbly? ›

The pie dough is too dry!

There are two very important things to point out in those few words– “cold” water and “just until flour is moistened.” It's critical to use cold water to keep the butter cold. The butter should stay firm so it doesn't soften and combine with the flour.

Butter for flakiness and flavor, and shortening for its high melting point and ability to help the crust hold shape. You can use butter-flavor shortening if desired. If you want to skip the shortening, feel free to try this all-butter pie crust instead.

The more solid the butter remains before it's baked, the flakier your crust will be. Add some baking powder to the dough. The leavener helps lift and aerate the crust, allowing it to expand into the dish while it bakes. Use a food processor to mix the dry ingredients and butter.

Salt: It might sound odd to have salt in a sweet pie crust, but a pinch or two actually helps boost the flavor without making the crust taste salty. Sugar: Not all pie crusts have sugar, but those that do will be more tender since sugar interferes with gluten development.

The 3:2:1 pie dough ratio

The most flaky, tender crust comes down to a simple 3:2:1 ratio of ingredients—flour, fat, water— no actual recipe needed. This is the basics foundation for not only pies, but also tarts, galettes, pot pies, hand pies and more.

The goal is to bring the components down to the smallest whole numbers they can be: If I tell you a shortbread recipe is 115 grams of sugar, 230 grams of butter, and 345 grams of flour: divide all the quantities by 115 grams, which leaves you with 1 of sugar, 2 of butter, and 3 of flour. The ratio is 1:2:3, by weight.

Shortcrust pastry dough is a simple recipe used for pies, tarts, and quiche. It calls for just four ingredients—flour, fat, salt, and water—and the ratio of flour to fat is usually 4-to-1. Shortcrust pastry is easy to make and can be prepared either by hand or with a food processor.