Tala Ceramic Baking Beans - Reusable Heat Resistant Blind Weights - Oven Beads for Pies, Tarts, and Pastry Crusts - Baking Accessories - Approx. 700g

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Here we have two related problems, both solved by blind baking. By pre-baking a pie crust we make sure that it is fully baked and crisp before we add our wet fillings. These are basically just round little ceramic discs with holes in them for air circulation during baking (just like real pie weights). Here you’ll find out everything you ever needed to know about blind baking, including both what it is, and how to go about it. So what is blind baking? Well, few of us are strangers to the disappointing soggy pie-crust base that can result from recipes that contain very wet fillings. Quiche and certain fruit pies are particularly vulnerable to this problem. So you’ve decided to make your family a delicious summer fruit tart, or take advantage of the fall’s harvest by baking a sweet pumpkin pie, but there’s just one snag… the recipe calls for blind baking the crust and the addition of pie weights, and that’s not something you keep hanging around your kitchen.

Some people swear by this method, but it doesn’t work for all types of pastry, and it isn’t foolproof. It is certainly not advisable for pies with wet fillings, as these can seep through the holes and then into or under the crust itself. If you find that the bottom of your blind-baked crust comes out a little soggy when using aluminum foil, try parchment paper instead. 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. Although this is a very alternative way to bake a pie, meringue powder can actually be a great substitute for pie weights. 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.

This will help to prevent the crust from shrinking or becoming misshapen during the baking process. Commercial Pie Weights You may have come across this term in recipe books time and time again, but still you’re not quite sure what it means. Or perhaps you’ve tried it once or twice, and still haven’t got that perfect pie crust that you were hoping for. Ready to learn how to blind bake pastry? Here we’ll take you through shortcrust pastry blind baking – a technique you can use for dozens of different sweet and savoury recipes. 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. If you’re tight on time or just don’t have any baking beans available, meringue powder can be a lifesaver.

While it may sound like an exercise in extreme adventure baking, don’t let its peculiar name put you off. Blind baking is actually a rather simple process to master once you understand the reasons for doing it and the steps involved. 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? They can be used in place of traditional blind baking beans by simply placing them on top of your pie dough before baking. In this way, the pastry can be either fully baked or partially baked before the filling is added. Why should I blind bake?

Here’s nice video that shows the effects of using pie weights (dried beans in this case) when blind baking. Skip ahead to about the 2:45 mark: