master-cooks | The Simplest Way To Blind Bake A Pie Crust, For The Uninitiated

Blind baking a pie crust is a technique used to pre-cook the crust before adding a filling, ensuring it doesn't become soggy. To start, roll out your dough and fit it into your pie dish, trimming any excess. Chill the crust in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to help prevent shrinkage. Once chilled, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil, ensuring it covers the entire surface, including the edges. Fill the lined crust with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice to keep it from puffing up while baking. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden. Carefully remove the parchment paper and weights, then return the crust to the oven. Bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the bottom appears dry and lightly browned. Let the crust cool before adding your desired filling. This method ensures a crisp, evenly cooked crust, perfect for custard or cream pies, where a fully cooked filling is added later. Blind baking is a straightforward process that enhances the final texture and flavor of your pie.

How to blind bake your pie crust

After rolling out your dough and shaping it to fit your pie pan, it's important to dock the dough by pricking the bottom and sides several times with a fork. This helps release moisture as the crust bakes. As Saura Kline points out, placing a piece of parchment paper to cover the bottom and sides of your crust before adding any filling is crucial. Without it, your rice, beans, or pie weights may bake into the crust, making them difficult to remove and leaving behind unsightly impressions. Additionally, parchment paper allows for easy removal of your weights once the blind baking is complete.

Regarding pie weights, specialized products like Mrs. Anderson's ceramic baking beads can be reused for pie baking, but Kline advises that they aren't necessary if you don't have them. "I wouldn't recommend spending money on pie weights," she says. Instead, you can use rice, beans, lentils, or any dry pantry staple. Simply pour them on top of the parchment paper until they reach the edge of your pie pan. A short time in the oven won't damage your dried goods, so you can store them afterward and use them as usual. Once your crust is blind baked, it will be perfectly prepared to hold your favorite pie fillings.

The Simplest Way To Blind Bake A Pie Crust, For The Uninitiated

How to blind bake your pie crust

Recommended

Next up