Blind baking is actually a rather simple process to master once you understand the reasons for doing it and the steps involved.

I remember one time many moons ago I ran out of parchment paper and used rice as a pastry weight, then spent forever picking rice grains out of my pie crust. If too little moisture gets released, then the crust will be dry and crunchy instead of being nice and soft like it should be! Here’s nice video that shows the effects of using pie weights (dried beans in this case) when blind baking. This sumptuous Salted Caramel and Chocolate Tart is a chocoholic’s dream, while a batch of Gluten-Free Spinach and Ricotta Tartlets will make the ideal canapes for your next dinner party. Remove your weights and foil or paper half way through blind baking to allow the crust to bake fully and develop some color.Or perhaps you do not want to bake your filling at all – from chocolate pudding to fresh fruit tarts, there are many occasions when a cold filling is added to a pre-baked crust. Re-use the sugar several times before using it in your favorite recipe for a toasted, caramel flavor.

To repair these, soften a little of the leftover pastry in your fingers and plug the holes (as shown), or lay a strip of raw pastry over a crack, being very gentle with the pastry case. Shrinkage of the sides as they bake can also be an issue, and the sides even have a tendency to fall in or collapse. 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. As well as ensuring your pastry is perfectly crisp and cooked, blind baking can also help your pie or tart filling to cook properly.Steel balls also work great as blind baking beans substitutes because they conduct heat very well and help ensure even cooking throughout your pie crust. Whichever method of blind baking you choose to use, some general advice can help you achieve even greater results. If you don't have time to chill the pastry or let it sit for a bit, make sure you have covered the pie dish with adequate pastry so that any shrinkage will not affect the ability of the pie to hold filling. This should sit on top of your paper or foil, providing a heavy and flat weight to keep your dough in place. This can also be used as an alternative to baking beans if you don’t have any on hand or want to try something new!

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. A pizza stone is a great substitute for pie weightsbecause it can help to evenly distribute the heat while cooking the crust. 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.For easier clean-up, place the beans in an oven bag or a cheesecloth satchel tied with kitchen twine. This is especially important if you are blind baking the crust, as you want to make sure that the entire crust is cooked through before adding the filling. This makes them awesome for blind baking, as they will help to keep the crust from shrinking or becoming misshapen.