How Much Pastry Do I Need for a Pie?

Try This Pastry Calculator

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
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Updated on 08/18/19
An empty pie crust with rolling pin, measuring spoons.

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Ever wondered how much pastry you need to make a pie, a pasty, a quiche, or whenever you need to use shortcrust pastry? Probably quite often. After all, telling you that you need so many grams of flour doesn't give much away, does it?

Though making shortcrust pastry is quick, straightforward, and easy, working out how much you need to cover a pie or line a tart tin can be confusing. So, how do you work out what you need?

How Do I Work out How Much Pastry I Need?

The answer isn't that easy to work out unless you are a baker who makes pastry all the time. If that is true, then you will get used to the feel of the ingredients, what they will make, and how far they will go. 

If a recipe calls for a certain quantity of pastry, this usually means the weight of flour and fat, plus any water you have added. But the quantity doesn't tell you is just how much that quantity will create. Only you know what you are making. 

The Simplest Way to Calculate the Amount of Pastry

You can quickly work it out by keeping a record every time you make the pastry, record what you make with it, how thinly it was rolled and how many pies tarts, pasties, etc. you made.

Or easier, use this simple calculator below, where it has been roughly worked out for you.

Here's a quick guide to help estimate how much to use.

  • 200g flour (7oz) = 300g (10 oz) pastry. This amount will cover a 600 ml (1 pint) dish or line and cover an 18cm (7") pie
  • 300g flour (10 oz) = 450g (14 1/2 oz)) pastry. This amount will cover a 1.5 - 2 liter (2 1/2-3 1/2 pint) dish or line and cover a 23cm (9") pie.
  • 400g flour (13 oz) = 600g (1¼lb) pastry. This amount will cover a 2.5 liter (4 pint) dish or line and cover a 30cm (12") pie.

Made Too Much Pastry?

Do not worry. Simply roll up scraps of pastry and use them to make jam tarts, so quick, simple and delicious to eat.

If you have more than scraps, then freeze the pastry. Wrap it in plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer for later. Simple. You can add it to more pastry next time.