Common Cooking Ratios

Quick reference for essential cooking ratios. Ratios shown in reduced form. See also: Complete Recipes

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Sauces & Dressings

Béchamel Sauce
1:1:10 - Flour : Butter : Milk (by weight)
Melt butter, cook with flour until golden "wet sand" (roux)
Add warm milk in thirds, whisking smooth each time
Source: Fallow London
Vinaigrette
3:1:.5 - Oil : Vinegar : Dijon Mustard (by parts)
Whisk vinegar and mustard, slowly whisk in oil until emulsified
Source: Fallow London
Hot Sauce (Quick)
3:2:.1 - Chilies/Onion/Garlic : Vinegar : Salt (by weight)
Blitz until smooth or chunky, adjust with lime juice, herbs
Source: Fallow London
Hot Sauce (Fermented/Lacto)
1:1:.02-.03 - Peppers : Water : Salt (by weight)
Creates a 2-3% salt brine solution
Example: 500g peppers + 500g water + 10-15g salt
Ferment 1-4 weeks, then blend with brine and vinegar to taste
Mayonnaise
1:20 - Egg Yolk : Oil (by parts)
Blend yolk with lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon
Slowly trickle oil while blending until thick
Source: Fallow London
Hollandaise
5:1:1 - Clarified Butter : Egg Yolk : Liquid (by weight)
Liquid = equal parts vinegar and water mixed
Whisk yolk with liquid over heat for sabayon
Off heat, slowly whisk in butter until silky
Source: Fallow London
Mornay Sauce
1:1 - Cheese : Roux (Flour+Butter combined) (by weight)
Stir cheese into hot béchamel off heat
Optional: finish with splash of vinegar
Source: Fallow London
Simple Syrup
1:1 - Sugar : Water (by volume, standard)
2:1 - Sugar : Water (by volume, rich syrup)
Source: Bar standards
Tomatillo Lime Ranch
1 oz Hidden Valley Ranch mix, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 cup mayo
1-2 tomatillos, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 tsp lime juice, 1/2-1 small jalapeño (seeded)
Blend all ingredients until smooth
Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Marinades & Brines

Marinade (General)
2:1:1 - Yogurt : Acid : Fat (by parts)
Mix yogurt with acid (lemon juice) and fat (oil)
Season with salt, sugar, spices, marinate 6-24 hours
Source: Fallow London
Pickles (Quick)
4:2:1 - Vinegar : Water : Sugar (by parts)
Bring to boil with aromatics (peppercorns, bay)
Pour over veg, submerge, let sit 24 hours
Source: Fallow London
Basic Brine
20:1 - Water : Salt (by weight)
Example: 1000g water + 50g salt (5% brine)
For poultry, pork, vegetables
Source: CIA standards
Pickle Brine
1:1:.03-.05 - Water : Vinegar : Salt (by volume for liquids, weight for salt)
Example: 500ml water + 500ml vinegar + 30-50g salt
Optional: Add 10-30g sugar for balance

Doughs & Batters

No-Knead Bread
100:70:1.5:1 - Flour : Water : Salt : Instant Yeast (by weight)
Example: 430g flour, 300g water, 6.5g salt, 4.3g instant yeast
450°F (230°C), 30min covered + 15-30min uncovered
12-18 hour rise at room temp
Pasta Dough
3:2 - Flour : Eggs (by weight)
Example: 300g flour + 200g eggs (~4 large eggs)
Source: Ruhlman's Ratio
Pancakes
2:2:1 - Flour : Milk : Eggs (by parts)
Example: 2 cups flour + 2 cups milk + 2 eggs
Plus 2 tbsp melted butter, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp baking powder
Crepe Batter
1:2 - Flour : Liquid (by volume)
Example: 1 cup flour + 2 cups milk/eggs combined
Plus 2-3 tbsp melted butter
Source: French classical

Meat & Proteins

Meat Mix (Burgers/Meatballs)
7:3 - Meat : Fat (by weight)
About 30% fat for juicy results
Mix with salt, garlic, herbs until cohesive
Source: Fallow London

Stocks & Soups

Stock
3:1:.1 - Water : Bones : Mirepoix (by weight)
Mirepoix = 10% of bone weight (onion, carrot, celery)
Example: 3L water + 1kg bones + 100g mirepoix
Source: CIA, Escoffier
Roux
1:1 - Fat : Flour (by weight)
Example: 50g butter + 50g flour
1 tbsp roux thickens ~1 cup liquid
Source: French classical, Ruhlman
Rice (Absorption Method)
1:2 - Rice : Water (by volume, long grain)
2:3 - Rice : Water (by volume, short grain/sushi)
4:5 - Rice : Water (by volume, basmati)

Baking & Desserts

Pound Cake
1:1:1:1 - Butter : Sugar : Eggs : Flour (by weight)
Example: 225g each ingredient
Source: Traditional, Ruhlman
Muffins
2:1:2:2 - Flour : Fat : Milk : Eggs (by parts)
Example: 2 cups flour + 1/2 cup oil + 1 cup milk + 2 eggs
Cookies (3-2-1)
3:2:1 - Flour : Fat : Sugar (by weight)
Example: 300g flour + 200g butter + 100g sugar
Creates shortbread-style cookies
Source: Ruhlman's Ratio
Pie Crust (3-2-1)
3:2:1 - Flour : Fat : Water (by weight)
Example: 300g flour + 200g butter + 100g ice water
Source: Ruhlman's Ratio
Biscuits
3:1:2 - Flour : Fat : Liquid (by parts)
Example: 3 cups flour + 1 cup butter + 2 cups buttermilk
Source: Ruhlman's Ratio

Quick Reference

Sources

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