Biscuit Cutter Yield Calculator

You can usually re-roll biscuit dough once effectively. After the second roll, the dough becomes tough from overworking the gluten. The biscuits from the re-roll will be slightly tougher than the first cut but still good. For the tenderest biscuits, chill the scraps before re-rolling.

Circles cannot tessellate (tile without gaps), so there are always gaps between the cut shapes. In a simple grid layout a round cutter fills at best about 78.5% (pi/4) of the dough; an offset, brickwork-style layout can reach about 90.7% (pi×sqrt(3)/6). Those are best-case densities — the actual usage on a given sheet is lower because of the leftover edge strips that are too narrow to take a whole cutter, which is why the on-screen waste figure is often a little higher than 22%. Square cutters can theoretically waste almost no dough if sized to the sheet, though edge waste still occurs.

For most biscuits, roll to about 4-5mm thick. Thinner (3mm) for crispy biscuits like gingerbread snaps, thicker (6-7mm) for shortbread or soft biscuits. Consistent thickness is more important than the exact measurement — use rolling guides or spacers.

Yes, dip the cutter in flour between each cut to prevent sticking. Press straight down and lift straight up without twisting — twisting seals the edges and prevents even rising. For very sticky doughs, chill the dough first.

Place cuts as close together as possible to minimise waste. For round cutters, offset each row by half a diameter (like brickwork) for the most efficient layout, though this calculator uses a simple grid for ease of calculation.