What is blind baking?
Blind baking is baking the crustbeforeyou fill it.
You need something to keep it in shape until it sets and can stand on its own.
Thats where pie weights come in.
Ceramic pie weights are little balls that can do the trick, and theyre infinitely reusable.
How to blind bake a crust
1.
First, if youre rolling out your own crust, fit it into a pie plate and trim it.
Crimp the edge now, because you wont get a chance to do it after blind baking.
Pop it in the fridge or freezer to firm up the fatsthis takes about 15 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 400F while youre weight-ing.
(Its been a while since Ive made any culinary puns.
Give me this.)
Line the crust and weigh it down
If youre using a frozen crust you could start at this step.
Take the cold crust out of the fridge or freezer.
Line the crust with a non-stick, heat-safe liner.
Some folks like aluminum foil, but Im not a fan.
Furthermore, Ive had pie dough stick to aluminum foil after blind baking, and thats just unacceptable.
Fill the liner with your weights of choice.
confirm you have enough to fill the pie shell all the way up to the top.
This prevents any shrinking or sagging.
If you cant see, just lift the edge of the parchment a little to check how its going.
Carefully remove the pie and lift the edges of the liner with the weights inside.
If the center looks greasy or if its doughy when you press it, the crust needs more time.
The timing will depend on the key in of weights you used and your pie crusts thickness.
If needed, lift the liner and pie weights back into the crust.
Return the pie shell to the oven and check again in five to 10 minutes.
Once the crust is sufficiently blind baked, take out the weights and liner.
This will take five to 10 minutes of additional baking.
Be sure to keep a close eye on it.
Cool the crust on a wire rack, and fill it with pie stuff, silly.
Orreallyplan ahead and freeze it for up to six months.
