Blind Baking Pastry Shells
Blind baking is the act of pre-baking a crust without its filling, using weights to hold the shape so the pastry stays crisp rather than sliding down the sides of the tin. You achieve this by lining the raw dough with parchment and filling it with dried beans or ceramic weights, baking until the edges set and the bottom is matte and dry, then removing the weights to brown the base.
Cold dough is the only barrier to shrinking.
If the dough warms up, the fat melts and the crust will lose its structure in the oven. Keep everything chilled until the moment it hits the heat.
- 9-inch tart or pie tin
- parchment paper
- pie weights or dried beans
- fork
- pastry weight or clean dry rice
What goes in.
- 1 discchilled shortcrust pastry
- as neededdried beans, rice, or ceramic pie weights
Docking and Chilling
Prick the base with a fork to allow steam to escape and ensure the dough rests in the freezer for at least twenty minutes before baking. This cold-shock prevents the pastry from shrinking away from the tin walls.
The method.
Prepare the tin
Roll out your dough, drape it over the tin, and press it gently into the corners. Trim the excess, leaving a small overhang to account for potential shrinkage.
Chill
Place the lined tin in the freezer for 20 minutes. It should be firm to the touch before it touches the oven rack.
First bake
Line the dough with parchment paper and fill it to the brim with weights. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 minutes until the edges look opaque and dry.
Remove weights
Lift out the parchment and weights. The bottom of the crust will look pale and soft.
Final color
Return the tin to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the base is uniform in color and feels like dry biscuit to the touch.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Don't reuse the beans you use for weights in a soup or stew; they will be over-dried and structurally compromised.
If you notice a tear while pressing the dough into the tin, patch it with a tiny piece of raw dough and press it smooth.
If the edges of your crust brown too quickly, wrap the rim of the tin in a collar of aluminum foil.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why does my pastry slide down the sides?
This happens when the dough wasn't chilled long enough before baking, or the oven wasn't hot enough to set the structure before the fat melted.
Can I blind bake a frozen crust?
Yes, you can move it directly from the freezer to the oven. You may need to add 3-5 minutes to the initial bake time.