Before knowing the blind baking procedure, first, try to understand the basics and why there is a need to use it. In simple words, it is a simple technique to pre-bake pie crust, which is used to serve with sweet or savory fillings on top. Here one can do complete baking or partial baking as per the requirement.
Here we are going to discuss some baking techniques and why bakers prefer this technique for making pies. I think that it is a method that bakers love who know the tactics of perfectly baking with this method.
What Is Blind Baking?
Blind baking, or we can say pre-baking, is used for cooking various things. Even while baking pie crust, it takes more time to get prepared than its filling. Also, it can be done in two methods:
- In one method, when you want to bake the crust for further cooking partially, pie weights are used with aluminum foil is lined up on the pie crust with some baked beans or lentils to ensure even baking.
- Now when you want to bake the crust fully to get light brown color in that case, there is no need to put pie weights on the crust.
So, one of the methods could be used as per the filling. Some of the fillings are cooked, and some could be uncooked like whipped cream, fruits, and many more.
Steps for Blind Baking of Pie Crust:
Follow the simple steps to blind bake the pie crust with the correct methodology.
Ingredients Required: 1 frozen pie crust dough is required for preparing the pie crust.
Equipment Required: 1-large rolling pin, thick aluminum foil or parchment paper, and pie weights or its substitute.
Method:
- First, pre-heat the oven at 180-degree Celsius and take out your frozen pie-crust dough from the oven.
- Take out the pie crust mold and start rolling the frozen dough into the thin sheets.
- Put some oil in the mold before laying pie-crust sheets on it and give a proper shape from all sides and edges.
- Now, keep the aluminum foil over the uncooked dough and place some baked beans and keep it in the oven.
How Long to Blind Baking Pie Crust?
I have cooked pie crust for a lot of savory and sweet flavors. I have found that it takes around 15 to 20 minutes to cook the pie with any method completely.
How to Use Pie Weights?
Personally, I think using pie weights is not a very difficult thing if you know the correct procedure to use the same. Only follow these simple steps and cook your crust:
- First, lay you pie crust base on mold and equally flatten it from all the sides. Take care of the edges of the mold and give the proper shape.
- Once done, plan an aluminum foil on the uncooked pie base and put your pie weights on it.
- Put the required number of pie crust weights evenly in the mold and put them in the oven for baking.
In this way, one can easily spread different types of weights without facing any problem.
What to Use Instead of Pie Weights?
One can keep baked beans, or rice kernels over aluminum foil or parchment paper instead of baking beads. Ensure any dried thing you keep over base must be non-reactive or least reactive to the baking temperature. In this way, one can find the best pie weights substitute without any worry.
Whenever I don’t have any pie weights with me while baking pie crust, I always use baked beans, easily available at home. One can also search for the best pie weights online to purchase the one.
How to Pre-Bake Pie Crust?
Many people get confused between two terms, that is pre-baking and blind baking. Here I have added this section because I want to clear the doubt of users that there are three terms:
- Pre-Bake
- Par-Bake
- Blind Bake
All three terms are the same and can be used in place of one and other. It’s simple means, baking an empty shell to make it crispy before adding some savory or sweet filling. Pie shell is prepared by making pie dough and rolling out it in flat sheets before laying them in pie molds.
Hence, the blind bake is a method that I think could be the best recipe for any baker for selling an interesting dish to the buyers. It will be a quick recipe to enjoy and easy method to make something new for your family and friends.
