Always half fat to flour i.e: 8 ounces flour and 4 ounces of fat.
To obtain a flaky pastry. The hard fat (butter or lard) does not melt into the flour but creates many layers of fat separated by flour. These layers become flakes when the pastry is baked.
3:1
The proportion of fat to flour depends largely on the type of pastry dough you are talking about, and what your fat source is. For pie crust dough, I've seen the ideal ratio described as 1 part fat to 2 parts flour. However, that ratio applies just to the ratio of one ingredient to another, not to the ultimate percentage of fat involved. Butter and shortening, for example, are not equivalent, and don't have the same fat content: shortening is 100% fat, whereas butter is around 80% fat (and the fat content can vary by brand). If you were referring to actual pastry dough, the percentage of fat to flour is going to differ more greatly. A popover dough for example, is going to contain a lot less butter than a pastry based on a puff pastry dough, croissants, for example.
The traditional ratio of fat to flour for suet pastry is typically 1:2, meaning one part suet to two parts flour. This ratio helps achieve a rich, tender pastry that holds its shape well during baking. Adjustments can be made based on personal preference or specific recipes, but this classic ratio provides a solid foundation for suet pastry.
In shortcrust pastry, the typical ratio of fat to flour is about 1:2, meaning for every part of fat, there are two parts of flour. In contrast, pâte sucrée, which is a sweet pastry, often has a higher fat content, with a common ratio of 1:1.5 or even 1:1, resulting in a richer and sweeter dough. This difference in fat content contributes to the texture and flavor variations between the two types of pastry.
the pastry has as much flour inside it asa it does butter. e.g. if you had 20g of flour you would also have to put 20g of butter into the mixture to form the pastry.
The fat lumps separate the layers of dough, producing flaky pastry.
You can't use oil in pastry. You need solid shortening so that you have layers of fat and flour. That is what makes it flaky. ...................... Oil can be used in making pastry, but as has been said, the resulting pastry will not be flaky, but crumbly. One can temporarily thicken some types of oil (especially pure olive oil) by refrigerating it. But the oil warms and returns to liquid state so quickly that it is not possible to produce flaky pastry with it.
Well, darling, the classic ratio for puff pastry is 1:1, meaning equal parts fat to flour. So, if you're feeling fancy and want those layers to flake like nobody's business, stick to that golden ratio and you'll be on your way to pastry perfection.
A pastry blender is a kitchen tool used to mix solid fats into flour when making pastry dough. It has multiple curved metal blades attached to a handle, which are used to cut the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This helps create a flaky texture in the final baked goods.
Short pastry is a type of pastry made with a high proportion of fat to flour, resulting in a crumbly and tender texture. It is commonly used in baking for making pies, tarts, and pastries due to its ability to hold fillings and create a flaky crust.
Depending on the type of flour you are working with, as well as the recipe, using too much flour can make your pastry too dense, tough or chewy. For example, if you are making a basic butter/shortening pie crust using all-purpose flour -- if you use too much flour or knead the dough excessively, you over-develop the gluten and will wind up with a tough crust vs. a light, flaky pastry.