Whether your recipe calls for a partially baked pie crust or fully baked pie crust, I'm going to teach you what that means and the simple steps needed to blind bake pastry successfully. You'll be churning out incredible tarts and pies in no time.
Learning how to blind-bake pastry is one of those kitchen skills every baker should learn to master. It's a technique required when making many of your favourite pies and tarts.
I'm sharing with you today what blind baking means, how to know when to partially bake (par-bake) or fully bake a pie crust, what pie weights you can use, and how to actually blind bake. With loads of process images and tips, this post will provide you with all the valuable information you need.
From my Earl Grey Crème Brûlée Tart to my Apply Caramel Tart to my Pear Frangipane Tart - they all require blind baking. Pick your favourite sweet shortcrust pastry or all-butter pastry and let's deep dive right into this post!
❓ Why Blind Bake Pie Crust?
In the world of pies and tarts, success comes in a well-baked pastry crust. There's nothing more disappointing than biting down on your favourite pie and the bottom is soft, soggy, or undercooked. So frustrating!
Once baked, the pie crust should be golden brown in colour and have a flakey, tender, melt-in-your-mouth quality.
To achieve this heavenly golden pastry case filled with your favourite filling, the dough often needs to be blind-baked first.
🧾 What Is Blind Baking?
Blind baking refers to the act of par baking or fully baking tart or pie pastry before the filling is added.
Once the pastry dough is positioned in the tart or pie pan, it's then covered in a paper or aluminium paper barrier. In this paper case, pie weights are added and the tart/pie pan is baked for a certain time. The paper acts as a barrier between the raw dough and weights that can stick into the dough without it.
The weights help compress the dough whilst it's baking so that it doesn't puff up and helps hold the shape of the pastry on the sides of the pan. After a while, the paper and weights are removed and the base is returned to the oven to continue cooking.
📖 Par Baked vs Fully Baked Pastry
But how do you actually know what to choose- par baking or fully baking the pie crust you've just made? The technique is the same but the answer lies in the type of filling and how long it needs to be baked for.
Par Baked Pastry
Wet fillings require the tart base to be par-baked so that the base has a chance to partially cook and develop a dry layer before adding in a liquid filling. The base then continues to cook in the oven with the filling but is distinctively separate maintaining a crispy base.
Types of tarts and pies that require par baking:
- Custard Tarts/Pies
- Apple Tart
- Savoury Quiches
- Pecan Pie
- Brownie Pie
- Chess Pie
- Lemon Tart (Baked version)
- Treacle Tart
- Frangipane Tarts
- Mince Pies
Fully Baked Pastry
The tart or pie base needs to be fully baked before adding in the filling when that filling requires no baking at all. The base won't have another chance to be baked in the oven so has to be golden and crisp before adding in the filling.
Types of pies and tarts that require the base to be fully cooked are:
- Fruit Curd Tarts
- Pastry Cream Fruit Tarts
- Banoffee Pie
- Banana Cream Pie
- French Silk Pie
- Chocolate Ganache Tart
- Cheesecake Tart
- Chocolate or Vanilla Pudding Pie
- Mascarpone Tart
Note: Some pies and tarts don't need blind baking at all.
This is because the filling needs to be baked for long enough that it allows the pastry to cook sufficiently.
Examples of these are:
- Fruit pies with a double crust like my Apple Pear Pie.
- Fruit pies with a single crust and topped with a streusel or crumble
- Savoury Tarts and Pies
Make sure the pies and tarts are cooked for long enough. One way to test this is for the filling to reach an internal temperature of 200C/400F. The pastry has to be a deep golden brown- don't be shy of colour - too many images on the internet show underbaked pastry.
⚖️ What type of Pie Weights Can You Use?
You can find ceramic or metal pie weights or baking beans that are great if you bake pies regularly. They can be found in a specialist baking shop or online.
However, you can use ingredients found in your pantry right this minute as your pie weights. Whatever you choose, just make sure that it's oven and food safe.
Here are some alternatives- all of which can be used over and over again. Just let them cool before storing them in an air-tight container for the next time you need to blind bake!
- Rice - every time you use it it will turn a little more golden. But this doesn't matter and you can keep using it.
- Sugar - you might think it would melt but when blind baking the sugar never reaches its melting point.
- Pulses/beans/lentils - a cheap alternative. Don't try cooking with them after using them for blind baking.
Personally, my preference is a combination of ceramic pie weight combined with rice. The pie weights do a great job of weighing down the pastry and stopping it from puffing up. The rice gets into all the pockets of space between the ceramic balls which I find especially useful around the edges of the tart/pie pan or when baking mini tarts.
👩🏻🍳 How to Blind Bake
Throughout this section, I'll show you the simple steps needed to blind bake your pasty. I'm sharing images for both a tart pan and a pie pan for visual reference.
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*
STEP 1: Line The Pans With Dough
Whether making a tart in a fluted tart pan or a pie in a pie pan, line the pans with the dough. Trim off any excess and crimp the edges in the pie pan (Images: Tart Pan 1 & Pie Pan 2).
Refrigerate the pan for 1 hour prior to baking. This allows the butter to firm up and the gluten in the flour to relax which in turn will help maintain the shape of the pastry and prevent shrinkage in the pan.
STEP 2: Dock The Pastry
Use the tines of a fork to prick holes all over the base (Images: Tart Pan 2 & Pie Pan 3).
The fork holes allow the steam to escape from the dough and stop it from puffing up and rising.
STEP 3: Create A Paper Barrier
Cut a piece of parchment paper or aluminium foil so that it's larger than the pan and overhangs the edges. Line the uncooked tart/pie pan with the paper so that it fits snugly inside (Images: Tart Pan 5 & Pie Pan 6).
Tip: When using parchment paper moisten it with water then scrunch it up into a small ball (Images 5 & 6). Open it up and shake off excess water. The paper becomes a lot more malleable and easy to fit into the pan across the base and up the sides.
STEP 4: Add Weight to The Paper
Use ceramic pie weights (baking beans), rice, lentils, or even sugar (or a combination), and fill the paper with the weights.
(Images: Pie Pan 7 & 8, Tart Pan 9 & 10).
Tip: Make sure you add enough so that the weights sit right up the sides of the pan to hold it in place. For both the 23cm/9-inch pie and tart pans, I used 4 cups of my pie weight-rice mix. If using a high-sided tart pan or deep pie dish, you will need more.
STEP 5: Bake
STEP 1: Bake in a preheated oven at 180C/350F for 15 minutes until the pastry is firm. Remove the pan from the oven and using the sides of the parchment paper, lift out the paper and pie weights (Image 11) and set aside to cool.
You can see in the images above that the base of the pastry is will largely raw but the sides have started to set in place (Images: Tart Pan 12 & Pie Pan 13).
Par-Baked Pastry
STEP 2: Return the pastry to the oven for a further 7-9 minutes until the pastry is just starting to turn brown around the edges but when you touch it still feels slightly soft when pressed (Images: Tart Pan 14 & Pie Pan 15).
Remove from the oven and cool slightly before adding your pie filling and return to the oven for the recommended time as per your recipe.
Fully Baked Pastry
STEP 2: Return the pastry to the oven for a further 15-17 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Don't be afraid of getting colour on your pastry. When you flip it over it should be golden underneath (Images: Tart Pan 16 & 17 and Pie Pan 18 & 19).
Let your pie crust cool completely before filling it with your choice of no-bake filling.
TIP: Ovens all run at slightly different temperatures. Go by the visual cues recommended rather than time as you may need a little less or a little more time.
If you find the edges of the tart or pie are browning before the centre is done, then cover the edges in foil or a pie guard and return to the oven.
🥚 Seal The Pastry
The first way to prevent soggy pastry bottoms is to bake the pastry for an appropriate amount of time. That’s a given.
But what if you need to fill your pastry with a liquid filling like a custard or a panna cotta that will set over time? In these situations, you need to SEAL YOUR PASTRY to create a watertight barrier. This is essential to stopping that liquid from turning your crisp pastry into a soggy, chewy mess.
STEP 1: Make an egg wash: You’ll need one beaten egg mixed in with 1 teaspoon of water or milk.
STEP 2: 5 minutes before the pastry is fully baked, remove it from the oven and brush with the egg wash covering the base and going up the sides of the pastry case. Ensure the egg wash is in all the holes (Images: Tart Pan 20 & Pie Pan 21).
Return the pastry case to the oven to continue baking for 5 minutes (Images: Tart Pan 22 & Pie Pan 23). The result is a pastry shell that looks amazing - golden and shiny.
In truth, I do this step whenever I need a fully baked pie crust or tart shell. I can rest assured that my pastry definitely won't go soggy. It gives me peace of mind!
Allow the pastry to cool completely before adding in your chosen no-bake filling.
💭 Recipe Pro Tips
- Use homemade or store-bought pastry. Homemade will have better taste and texture, but in a pinch, store-bought can be used.
- Refrigerate where the recipe states. Don't skip any point where the dough or pastry shell needs refrigerating.
- If the pastry bottom has puffed up in the oven after the pie weights were removed, then whilst still warm, simply press down with the back of a spoon.
- Use enough pie weights to fill up the sides of the pan. They need to hold enough pressure on the pastry to stop it slipping and shrinking.
📋 Blind Baking FAQs
My top tips to avoid this problem would be to add water sparingly, don't overwork the dough, allow the pastry to chill, fill the pie weights to the brim of the pastry and bake the pastry at high heat.
Absolutely. You can par bake or fully bake the tart shell or pie crust the day before and store it at room temperature until ready to fill.
Check your oven temperature- It could have been too high and the base didn't have time to cook through before the sides were done. Also, if you see the edges browning too quickly, simply cover them in foil and this will slow down the browning and allow the base to essentially catch up.
❄️ Storage and Freezer Instructions
To store:
- Uncooked dough: Once shaped into a disc, the shortcrust dough can be kept well wrapped in clingfilm for up to three days in the fridge. When it comes time to roll it out, let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes (weather depending) until it is soft enough to roll out.
- Uncooked pie shell: Roll out the dough and line the tart pan or pie pan. Wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days before baking.
To freeze:
- Uncooked dough in disc or in pie pan: Wrap the shortcrust dough tightly in plastic wrap and then place it in an airtight container or sealed zip lock bag and freeze for up to one month. If you have rolled out your dough and lined your pastry tin then you can follow the same steps for freezing.
- Baked tart/pie shells: Cool the pastry shell completely. Gently wrap the individual pastry cases in clingfilm and then place them in an airtight container or sealed zip lock bag. Freeze for up to one month.
- To Thaw: Remove the frozen dough from the freezer and thaw in the fridge (this can take up to a day). When it comes time to roll it out, let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes (weather depending) until it is soft enough to roll out.
🥧 More Dough Recipes
If you tried this Blind Baking Guide or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
How To Blind Bake Pastry (Pie Crust)
Equipment
- 1 Round pie dish 23 cm (9-inch) or 23cm (9-inch) pie pan
- parchment paper or aluminium foil
- pie weights (baking beans) or rice/lentils/beans
Ingredients
- 1 homemade pie crust
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180℃ / 350℉.Line the pan with dough. Whether making a tart in a fluted tart pan or a pie in a shallow or deep pie pan, line the pan with the shortcrust dough. Trim off any excess and crimp the edges in the pie pan.Refrigerate the pan for 1 hour prior to baking. This allows the butter to firm up and the gluten in the flour to relax which in turn will help maintain the shape of the pastry and prevent shrinkage in the pan.
- Dock the pastry. Use the tines of a fork to prick holes all over the base. The fork holes allow the steam to escape from the dough and stop it from puffing up and rising.
- Create a paper barrier. Cut a piece of parchment paper or aluminium foil so that it's larger than the pan and overhangs the edges. Line the uncooked tart/pie pan with the paper so that it fits snugly inside. Tip: moisten the paper and scrunch up first before opening it to line the pan.
- Add weight to the paper. Use ceramic pie weights (baking beans), rice, lentils, or even sugar (or a combination), and fill the paper with the weights. Make sure you add enough so that the weights sit right up the sides of the pan to hold the pastry in place.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes until the pastry is firm. Remove the pan from the oven and using the sides of the parchment paper, lift out the paper and pie weights.Par Baked Pie Crust: Return the pastry to the oven for a further 7-9 minutes until the pastry is just starting to turn brown around the edges but when you touch it still feels slightly soft when pressed. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before adding your pie filling and return to the oven for the recommended time as per your recipe.Fully Baked Pie Crust: Return the pastry to the oven for a further 15-17 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Don't be afraid of getting colour on your pastry. When you flip it over it should be golden underneath. Let your pie crust cool completely before filling it with your choice of no-bake filling.
- Option: Seal The Pastry if adding a wet filling to a fully baked pie crust.Make an egg wash with one beaten egg mixed in with 1 teaspoon of water or milk.5 minutes before the pastry is fully baked, remove it from the oven and brush with the egg wash covering the base and going up the sides of the pastry case. Ensure the egg wash is in all the holes. Return the pastry case to the oven to continue baking for 5 minutes.
All recipes are developed and tested in Metric grams. I strongly recommend that you bake using digital scales for a more accurate result. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.
Notes
- Uncooked dough: Once shaped into a disc, the shortcrust dough can be kept well wrapped in clingfilm for up to three days in the fridge. When it comes time to roll it out, let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes (weather depending) until it is soft enough to roll out.
- Uncooked pie shell: Roll out the dough and line the tart pan or pie pan. Wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days before baking.
- Uncooked dough in disc or in pie pan: Wrap the shortcrust dough tightly in plastic wrap and then place it in an airtight container or sealed zip lock bag and freeze for up to one month. If you have rolled out your dough and lined your pastry tin then you can follow the same steps for freezing.
- Baked tart/pie shells: Cool the pastry shell completely. Gently wrap the individual pastry cases in clingfilm and then place them in an airtight container or sealed zip lock bag. Freeze for up to one month.
- To Thaw: Remove the frozen dough from the freezer and thaw in the fridge (this can take up to a day). When it comes time to roll it out, let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes (weather depending) until it is soft enough to roll out.
- Use homemade or store-bought pastry. Homemade will have better taste and texture, but in a pinch, store-bought can be used.
- Refrigerate where the recipe states. Don't skip any point where the dough or pastry shell needs refrigerating.
- If the pastry bottom has puffed up in the oven after the pie weights were removed, then whilst still warm, simply press down with the back of a spoon.
- Use enough pie weights to fill up the sides of the pan. They need to hold enough pressure on the pastry to stop it slipping and shrinking.
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