Partially cooking your pastry before adding moist fillings will seal the surface and result in a crisp pastry case – it’s necessary, because it means your precious pastry won’t turn soggy when it’s filled and baked.
How to blind bake shortcrust pastry
Step 1
After placing the pastry in its tin, use a fork to prick the base all over to remove any air pockets. Line the case with baking paper, then fill with baking weights, or uncooked rice, to prevent the pastry from warping and bubbling as it cooks.
Step 2
Put the tin on a baking tray and place into a preheated 220°C oven for 8-10 minutes. By this stage the pastry should just be beginning to colour.
Step 3
Remove the tray and pastry case from the oven. Carefully remove the baking paper and weights or rice. Place the empty pastry case and tray back into the oven for a further 5-10 minutes or until light golden and dry. Allow the pastry case to cool in its tin before filling or continuing with the next stage of your recipe.
What can I use for blind baking? And can you blind bake without weights?
It’s not recommended to blind bake without any weight, because the pastry will puff up and it won’t cook evenly if there’s nothing holding it down. But if you don’t have traditional baking beads, you can use dry rice, pasta, beans or even sugar! Anything that’s heavy enough to hold down a piece of baking paper.
Can you eat the rice, beans, sugar after you’ve blind baked with them?
Our food team probably wouldn’t recommend cooking your ingredients once you’ve blind baked with them, as it could affect the flavour of the ingredient. But if you don’t want to throw them away, our team keep their “blind baking rice” in a separate mason jar in their cupboard, which they pull out and use whenever they need to blind bake. The ingredients will be good for around a year.
Finally, why is it called “blind baking”?
We’re not sure about this one. But apparently the popular opinion is that because you can’t see the pastry (as it’s covered by baking paper), you’re baking blind. You learn something new every day.
FAQs
Fill the crust with pie weights completely flush to the top edge of the crust to prevent shrinking or slumping. Place on a rimmed, parchment-lined baking sheet. This will help catch any butter that might bubble over. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes at 425°F, or until pale and just beginning to brown but not raw.
How do you blind bake pastry? ›
Line the base and sides of an uncooked pastry case with non-stick baking paper. Fill with rice, dried beans, or metal or ceramic baking weights. (This stops the pastry base rising during cooking.) Place on a baking tray and cook in an oven preheated to 220C for 8-10 minutes.
How to blind bake a pie crust without shrinking? ›
Bake with weights in the center.
Add pie weights, dry rice, dried beans or (as I've done here) dry wheat berries, enough to fill the pan 2/3 full. Chill the crust for 30 minutes; this will solidify the fat, which helps prevent shrinkage. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 minutes.
Can you blind bake puff pastry without weights? ›
It's not recommended to blind bake without any weight, because the pastry will puff up and it won't cook evenly if there's nothing holding it down. But if you don't have traditional baking beads, you can use dry rice, pasta, beans or even sugar! Anything that's heavy enough to hold down a piece of baking paper.
What temperature do you blind bake a pie crust at? ›
Stella advocates lining a frozen crust with foil, filling with pie weights, and then baking at an even 350°F temperature for the entirety of the baking time. No removing of the pie weights mid way, no poking the bottom with a fork. It works!
Do you egg wash pastry before blind baking? ›
An egg wash is not necessary when blind baking, though if you want to add some shine to the edges of the pie, you can brush the crust with egg wash after removing the pie weights and before returning the pie to the oven to finish baking.
How do I stop my pastry from shrinking when blind baking? ›
When blind baking, line the pastry with baking paper and fill to the brim with baking beans/uncooked rice, which will support the sides of the pastry and help prevent shrinkage. Start shortcrust off at 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5 to quickly set the pastry. If the oven temperature is too low, the pastry will shrink.
Why did my pie crust shrink when I blind baked it? ›
Add water a tablespoon at a time when mixing the dough, just enough so the dough stays together when pressed. The water evaporates when the pie dough is baking, if there's too much water in the pie dough, the pie dough will shrink.
What happens if you don't blind bake a crust? ›
Too many pumpkin pies have soggy crusts that never fully brown. To avoid this, recipes often call for blind baking your crust. That is, baking the empty crust before the filling is added. This gives the crust time to firm up and brown, time it typically doesn't get if the faster cooking filling is added first.
Is always necessary to blind bake a pie crust before filling? ›
Pre-baking is a must if you're looking for a flaky pie crust. It's especially helpful for recipes with a wet center. Recipes for most tarts, pies, and quiches call for pre-baking to ensure that the final product doesn't end up soggy.
You can blind bake like a pro by keeping a few tips in mind. Line the unbaked pie crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Use pie weights, dried beans, or clean coins to weigh down the lined crust so the bottom doesn't puff and the sides don't slouch while it bakes.
Can you reuse sugar after blind baking? ›
My favorite pie weight is granulated sugar! You likely already have enough to fill your crust and you can reuse the sugar after it cools.
Can you bake pastry blind without baking beans? ›
But there are alternatives to baking beans – some of which you may even have in your cupboard. If you're new to blind baking, the simplest homemade solution is rice. It acts as a great pastry weight and does not burn – plus it's easy to tip out or save to use again.
How long should you bake pastry blind for? ›
Line the tart tin with baking parchment and fill with ceramic baking beans or dried pulses. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the pastry is firm, then remove the beans and cook for about 5 minutes more, until golden brown and biscuity. Trim off any excess using a small serrated knife before filling.
What to use if you don't have pie weights? ›
What Can You Use Instead of Pie Weights? Instead of pie weights, you can use dried beans or rice, granulated sugar, popcorn kernels or steel ball bearings. If you are not using pie weights, the idea is to mimic what the pie weight does and to make sure that the alternative is oven-safe.
Do you trim pastry before blind baking? ›
Trim off any excess pastry that's hanging over the edges of the tin. You can use your rolling pin to help you do this – simply press it down on the edges so the excess is sliced off.
Do I need to blind bake a ready made pastry case? ›
Ready Made Pastry cases - You do not need to blind bake ready made shortcrust pastry. These ready made/ready baked pastry cases are ready to use and can usually hold most fillings and if needed, they can be placed in the oven to cook the contents.
What happens if you don't blind bake pastry? ›
As a general rule, you do need to blind bake when cooking a dish with wet fillings. For example, if you're making a quiche or frangipane, blind baking the crust first will help ensure the pastry case stays buttery and retains its crunch.
What is the purpose of blind baking pastry? ›
Blind baking is used for making tart shells as well as pies. When blind baking, the pie crust is lined with parchment paper and then filled with uncooked beans or rice, and then baked. This prevents the crust from puffing up while it bakes. After baking, the beans or rice are removed and the pie crust is filled.
