The metal chains will allow air to escape from underneath so that your crust doesn’t get soggy or burn, but it will also prevent any potential leakage from occurring as well because it covers up all sides so nothing can leak out! A safer method is to weigh the crust down with “pie weights.” Here a sheet of baking paper or aluminum foil is placed over the pastry in your form, before being filled with small weights that hold the dough in place. This has the advantage of not only holding the dough down, but also holding the edges up. While you may have put it down to the filling itself soaking into the crust (which isn’t entirely inaccurate), the problem is usually that the crust itself is under-baked. Some recipes call for a crisp, golden crust. Remove your weights and foil or paper half way through blind baking to allow the crust to bake fully and develop some color.

Metal chains are a great DIY option for those looking to save some money on their baking accessories. Carefully position your pastry over your baking tin. Gentle press it into the tin, pushing it all the way into the corners. If you find that the bottom of your blind-baked crust comes out a little soggy when using aluminum foil, try parchment paper instead. Commercial pie weights can be quite heavy, so adjust the quantity of weights you use accordingly. You may need two layers of dried beans, but only one of steel balls. Here’s nice video that shows the effects of using pie weights (dried beans in this case) when blind baking. Skip ahead to about the 2:45 mark:So you’ve decided to make your family a delicious summer fruit tart, or take advantage of the fall’s harvest by baking a sweet pumpkin pie, but there’s just one snag… the recipe calls for blind baking the crust and the addition of pie weights, and that’s not something you keep hanging around your kitchen. Blind baking doesn’t need to be difficult, and there are several different methods that you can try. The recipe itself will likely give you an indication of the times and temperatures required, or the degree to which the crust should be baked. Follow the advice above and you should be baking perfect pie crusts every time, no matter your choice of pie weights! The problem for many home bakers is that recipes simply ask for a crust to be “blind baked” without describing what this involves or how to do it. Well that’s where this article comes in!

Other fillings may require only a short period of baking or a lower temperature than the crust, and so the crust will need a head-start if it is to become crisp. Custard pies for example can curdle if baked for too long. Some easy alternatives for pie weights include dried rice, beans, or corn, steel balls, metal chains, sugar, and a second, smaller pie form. We’ll take a look at each of these in more detail below. Here you’ll find out everything you ever needed to know about blind baking, including both what it is, and how to go about it. So what is blind baking? Whichever method of blind baking you choose to use, some general advice can help you achieve even greater results. Remove it from the oven and, using the greaseproof paper to protect your fingers, take out the beans. Then bake the pastry for a further five minutes.This will help to prevent the crust from shrinking or becoming misshapen during the baking process. Commercial Pie Weights Ready to learn how to blind bake pastry? Here we’ll take you through shortcrust pastry blind baking – a technique you can use for dozens of different sweet and savoury recipes. Blind baking pastry for a showstopping dessert? Create golden pastry using a basic egg or milk wash. This method has the added advantage of allowing you to invert the two forms so that you can bake them upside down on a baking tray. While the form holds the bottom of the pastry in place, gravity works in your favor by pulling the sides of the crust down, protecting against shrinkage. Blind baking is the process of pre-baking a pie crust or tart shell before its filling is added. It gives the crust a head-start over the filling, and gives you more control over how the crust is baked.

Some people swear by this method, but it doesn’t work for all types of pastry, and it isn’t foolproof. It is certainly not advisable for pies with wet fillings, as these can seep through the holes and then into or under the crust itself.This is entirely understandable, as once the filling is baked to our liking, we have to remove the pie to prevent it from burning or over-cooking.

Make sure that your pie weights are evenly distributed over the surface of the crust, and pushed out to the sides. Keeping the weights in an oven bag can make removal of them easier. Pour your baking beans/dried beans/dried pasta on top. This will help weigh it down and stop the pastry from puffing up when it’s baking. Shrinkage of the sides as they bake can also be an issue, and the sides even have a tendency to fall in or collapse. Pie weights solve these problems by filling the crust during blind baking and holding it in place.In this way, the pastry can be either fully baked or partially baked before the filling is added. Why should I blind bake? While it may sound like an exercise in extreme adventure baking, don’t let its peculiar name put you off. Blind baking is actually a rather simple process to master once you understand the reasons for doing it and the steps involved. If you’re tight on time or just don’t have any baking beans available, meringue powder can be a lifesaver.