It’s pie week here at Sugar Spun Run, and today’s topic is blind baking! Yesterday I shared my easy recipe for homemade pie crust, and today I’m taking things one step further to show you how to blind bake pie crust. Some bakers are intimidated by this practice, but it’s actually very simple and a great skill to have in your repertoire.
Blind baking simply means baking your pie crust without any filling. Bakers do this to either a) cook their crust separately from their filling (for no-bake pies) or b) prevent a soggy bottom. When you blind bake, you can either fully bake your crust before filling (like I do with my chocolate pie andpumpkin pie), or you can partially bake it (also known as par-baking; more on this below). Either way, you’ll be left with a deliciously flaky, sturdy crust that is a far cry from the sad, soggy pie crusts of the past.
Let’s dive in!
What You Need to Blind Bake Pie Crust
Knowing how to blind bake a pie crust is an essential skill that every baker should have. It’s simple and easy too–here’s what you need:
- Pie crust. You’ll need one prepared pie crust. I recommend using my pie crust recipe, but a store-bought crust will work too. Make sure your dough has been chilled before you start to roll it out.
- Pie weights. I prefer using traditional pie weights (and link to the ones I use in the recipe), but you could also use pennies, sugar, rice or dry beans in a pinch. Keep in mind that if you use sugar, your pie can take a longer time to bake (but you can re-use the sugar afterwards!)
- Parchment/foil. I used parchment, but if foil is all you have, you can use that too. Lay a piece of this down before your pie weights for easy removal. Make sure you cut your piece to be long enough so that you can remove it without burning yourself!
How to Blind Bake a Pie Crust
- Prepare pie dough and chill as directed in your recipe. Transfer chilled dough to a clean, lightly floured surface and roll into a 12″ circle. Place dough into a 9-10” (23-25cm) pie plate and flute or crimp the edges.
- Put crust in freezer while your oven preheats, at most 20 minutes. Once oven is ready, remove pie from freezer and line with enough parchment or foil to go all the way up the sides of the pie crust and beyond for easy removal. Fill lined crust halfway full with pie weights and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then take the crust out of the oven and carefully remove the parchment and weights to a heatproof bowl. Pierce the bottom of the pie all over with a fork.
- Bake your crust for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Use as desired!
Docked pie crust before baking
