Many sweet and savory pie recipes require pre-baking or "blind baking" a crust. No one really knows where the term got its name, but "blind" baking a crust means baking it without a filling. Show
Why Blind Bake a Crust?Some pie and tart recipes have fillings that are not cooked at all, and need to be put into a fully cooked pie shell. Some recipes like quiches recommend partially cooked pie shells because the baking time wouldn't be long enough to fully cook the dough otherwise. Pre-baking a crust can ensure that your pie or tart crust will be fully baked and browned, and not soggy. Elise BauerPre-Baking a Store-Bought CrustAre you using a homemade pie crust? Or a store bought frozen crust? Most store-bought frozen crusts have much less dough in them than a typical homemade crust, so they'll brown much faster than a homemade crust. If you are pre-baking a store-bought frozen packaged crust, I recommend following the directions on the package for how to pre-bake that particular crust. Most instructions will have you defrost the crust, prick the bottom of the crust all over with the tines of a fork, and bake at 375°F to 450°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Pre-baking a homemade crust is an entirely different matter, as homemade crusts can have twice as much dough and a higher proportion of fat than store-bought crusts. How to Blind Bake a Homemade CrustThe most challenging issue you encounter when pre-baking a homemade crust is slumping sides. Homemade crusts especially have a high fat content. The fat melts when heated in the oven, and unless there is a filling to prop up the sides of the pie crust, it can slump. Another issue is billowing air pockets in the center. If you don't blind bake with weights, or poke holes into the bottom of the crust, the bottom of the crust can puff up. For years I pre-baked crusts the way most people did, about 15 minutes at a high baking temperature using foil or parchment and pie weights, then removing the pie weights and foil, poking the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork, and continuing to bake for 20 minutes, uncovered. Elise BauerThis method works, but I've always found it a bit fussy. And even when you poke the bottom of the crust all over with little holes, sometimes you still get air pockets bubbling up at the bottom. I have recently starting using a method I learned from Stella Parks at Serious Eats that consistently gives good results, even with hard-to-blind-bake crusts such as my no-fail sour cream pie crust. Stella advocates lining a frozen crust with foil, filling with pie weights, and then baking at an even 350°F temperature for the entirety of the baking time. No removing of the pie weights mid way, no poking the bottom with a fork. It works! The pressure of the pie weights keeps the bottom of the crust from billowing up, and the sides from slumping too much. Sugar, Rice, or Beans for Pie WeightsAnother thing that Stella recommends is using sugar for pie weights instead of beans or other weights. Why sugar? Because of its small granular size, sugar distributes the weight more evenly against the sides of the crust. Elise BauerYou might think the sugar would melt, but it's not in the oven long enough to reach its melting point. You can actually re-use the sugar in baking. In fact, cooking the sugar this way lightly caramelizes it, giving it more flavor. You can also easily use uncooked rice or dry beans. I've extensively tested all three; they all work. I have found that sugar does give consistently better results, and helps keep the sides in place better. Tips for Blind Baking Success
Watch How to Blind Bake a Pie CrustReuse Your Baked SugarIf you use sugar as a pie weight, you'll be left with about 4 cups of lightly caramelized sugar granules which you can (and should!) easily reuse. Let the sugar cool to room temperature, run it through a food processor to break up any lumps, then store it in a cool, dry place like any other granulated sugar. Use it to make sugar cookies! If you know you are making a crust that will be pre-baked, form the edges of the dough higher than usual, above the edge of the pie pan.
How long does it take for crust to bake?Prick bottom and side of pastry thoroughly with fork. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown; cool on wire rack.
What temp should I bake a pie crust?Whether you've made your own or you're using store-bought, roll out your pie dough, press it into your pie plate, and crimp the edges as you normally would. You'll also want to have your oven preheating to 425°F.
How long should you pre bake a pie crust?Line the crust with foil, parchment, or a paper coffee filter. Fill it about two-thirds full with dried beans, uncooked rice (or other uncooked grain berries), pie weights, or granulated sugar. Bake the crust in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 minutes, set on a baking stone or steel if you have one.
How do you know when crust is done?If you see any white spots in your crust, it needs more time. Just because the top starts to brown, that doesn't mean it's finished. Leave it in there until it's truly brown.
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