Name That Technique: Blind Baking!
Photo courtesy of Brown Dress With White Dots
Hi Everyone,
With the holidays rapidly approaching, we know that a lot of you will be baking up a storm in the next few months! With that in mind, we’re sharing the secrets to one of our favorite techniques:
A perfect piecrust doesn’t happen naturally, which is where blind baking comes in handy! Blind baking is when you partially or completely bake a pastry crust or base before adding the filling, which creates a crust that’s crisp and strong, and not soggy. Here’s how you can use blind baking to make perfect crusts each and every time you bake a pie:
Photos courtesy of Frieda Loves Bread, Italian Handful, Bon Appetit
- Place your freshly prepared piecrust in a tin or glass baking dish, and let it chill in the freezer until firm. You will also want to poke a few holes in the crust for airflow.
- Once firm, cover the base completely with foil, parchment paper or wax paper.
- After the base is covered completely, fill the covered crust with dried beans or rice. This acts as a weight and prevents the base from rising and will leave the crust even.
- Bake the pastry base in a 400° oven for 20 minutes, or until the edge of the crust is golden brown.
- Remove the dish from the oven, and allow it to cool for five minutes. Carefully lift the parchment paper and weight from the crust, and then add pie filling!
Mastering this technique is incredibly simple, and with a little practice, everyone will be able to make a homemade crust for delicious dishes like HOLYFIELD’S WEST INDIAN DARK CHOCOLATE PEANUT PIE.
Now that you know how to make the perfect piecrust, we want to hear from you! Tell us how you would fill in the blanks to the comment below!
If I could have any kind of pie, it would be topped with !
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RWoP
38 comments
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I always use this method for single crust pies. My favorites are cream pies, my hubby loves lemon with "calf slobbers" as he calls meringue. My favorite to bake is apple, and I have perfected a secret ingredient that everyone raves about:) -
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I had absolutely NO idea about this method! Way Cool! I will certainly remember and use it.
My daddy's favorite pie was banana cream from scratch. Everything, from scratch. Took 3 hrs. Then, THEN, his favorite bartender made him a banana cream and he ranted and he raved about it... I asked her how she made it... store bought crust, Jello pudding, whipped cream. Now, when I think about it, I think he put on the show just to watch mine! lol Boston Cream is 'one' of my fave's~ -
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If I could have any pie it would be either Maple Syrup Pie with a spoon of cinnamon whipped cream or a Mixed Berry Pie toped with vanilla ice cream
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If I could have any kind of pie, it would be homemade Lemon Meringue topped with fluffy and lightly browned baked Meringue! Yumo! -
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I have learned to use my fingers to mix my pie crust. This helps me avoid over mixing which toughens the crust. Those glutens don't like much moving around! I guess it's sort of like muscles, the more you move them the tougher they get. :) -
I have made pie crusts and different doughs (Pâte bisée, Pâte sucrée and Pâte sablée) some using butter, or Crisco, or butter Crisco depended upon my filling and pie style! I prefer my crust flaky and therefore use butter some often. I learned that a excellent regular pie crust dough is one where the dough feels like your earlobe. Be sure that your butter is very cold and let the dough chill before rolling!
I have made crust by hand, or used a fat cutter, or used my hook on my mixer or in a food processor. I especially love Sweet Tart Dough and a shortbread tart dough that changes the flavor of the crust.
Be sure that butter is cold and let it chill before rolling!
My favorite pie is Classic Linzer Tart for a sweet pie and a savory pie would be Classic Quiche! -
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Amy, I went to lots of trouble with a Martha pie crust made with butter. It was just ok. I never made it again if that tells you anything. My favorite crust is made with cooking oil, rolled between wax paper. It holds up better under fruit pies with my favorite being BLACKBERRY! Topped of course with Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream!
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For the best pie crust..Use what our grandmas used...Lard!! Or even Crisco..they will never let you down...All you need is all purpose flour, lard, a pinch of salt and some ice water. Dont over work it..and then roll out, place in your dish and poke holes...I use the same crust recipe for cobblers, pies, chicken pot pies and all! -
I'm with you Ann Miller-T .. Bourbon Pecan Pie! But instead of the salty caramel, I'd use praline crumbles!
Blind baking is a neat tip. I find that the parchment paper cartouche is better to use although I've never tried a wax paper one. -
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If I could have any kind of pie, it would be pumpkin topped with crushed gingerbread cookies! Delicious!! -
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If I could have any kind of pie, it would be chocolate mousse topped with fresh whipped cream! -
I make a great Buttermilk pie and it needs no topping. Just slice it up and eat!! It's made with homemade crust using Crisco.
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If I could have any kind of pie?! It would be bourbon pecan pie topped with a strong vanilla bean ice-cream and a ribon of salty caramel. I'm no good at pies which is why I leave the pies to my mother and I bake the cheesecakes!!!
Happy Tuesday!
Ann MT
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