While you might be able to get away with a slightly soggy base, serving up a pie where the crust still feels like dough or which doesn’t even hold together is inexcusable. It is worth making the effort therefore to learn and practice blind baking when it is called for in a recipe, to guarantee great results every time. How do I blind bake? 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. If using pie weights, you may need to adjust how many you use in proportion to their weight. Steel or ceramic balls will likely be heavier than dried beans, so you may need to use several layers to compensate. They can be used in place of traditional blind baking beans by simply placing them on top of your pie dough before baking.

One problem with blind baking is that without a filling to hold down the pastry, the dough can puff up as steam produced during baking gets trapped in the dough’s gluten structure. This can lead to an uneven crust, and over- or under-baked areas. We are all pressed for time occasionally, and it may be tempting in such circumstances to skip the blind baking step. The results of doing so could range from passable to disastrous, depending on the type of pie that you are baking. Although this is a very alternative way to bake a pie, meringue powder can actually be a great substitute for pie weights. This is especially important if you’re making something like a quiche because it needs to stay contained within its own boundaries during cooking time otherwise it may end up leaking over into another dish while they cook together inside your oven! Meringue Powder If you find that the bottom of your blind-baked crust comes out a little soggy when using aluminum foil, try parchment paper instead.

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.

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. A pie crust can also become soggy (see my tips for preventing this from happening) if the filling is too wet, as with quiche and some fruit pies, and blind baking helps to prevent this. Why Do I Need Pie Weights? Commercial pie weights usually take the form of ceramic balls. A sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil is placed over the crust and the weights are then placed on top. 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.

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. A third and quite elegant method of blind baking is to use a second, smaller pie form as your weight. This should sit on top of your paper or foil, providing a heavy and flat weight to keep your dough in place. All you need to do is preheat your oven to the desired temperature and then coat the bottom and sides of your pie crust with meringue powder. If you’re tight on time or just don’t have any baking beans available, meringue powder can be a lifesaver.