What Is Blind Baking?

Searching for a blind baking pie crust recipe feels like looking for a needle in a haystack.

It seems like every new cookbook published has a section dedicated to this topic.

There are also countless recipes online.

But if you think about it, it makes sense—blind baking is an essential step in baking a pie.

The technique ensures that your pie crust is fully baked and will prevent it from becoming soggy while it bakes with the rest of the ingredients in your pot.

Here’s everything you need to know about blind baking.

What is blind baking?

Before we dive into how to blind bake, let’s get one thing straight:

Blind baking is different than prebaking.

Prebaking refers to cooking a pie crust before adding its fillings.

In contrast, blind baking means cooking the crust without its fillings.

It sounds more complicated, but it’s actually rather simple.

When you blind bake a pie crust, you preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).

You then roll out the dough until it’s just large enough to cover the bottom of your pot or pan.

You can use either a rolling pin or a glass or ceramic plate to flatten the dough evenly across the pan.

Once the crust is ready, you add the filling, put a lid on top, and bake it for 15 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).

After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing the pie plate and slicing it open.

If you’re looking to make a savory dish, such as a quiche, you might want to consider making your own homemade pie crust instead of using store-bought.

For more information on blind baking, check out our guide to blind baking a pie crust.

What are the benefits of blind baking?

The main benefit of blind baking is that it saves time.

If you don’t have much experience with baking, you may find yourself waiting around for your pie crust to finish baking when you could be doing something else.

With blind baking, all you have to do is add your filling to the pot of ingredients, place a lid on top, and walk away.

The entire process takes less than half an hour.

Blind baking also helps reduce the risk of burning the crust, which happens more often than you think.

What are the drawbacks of blind baking?

Unfortunately, blind baking isn’t perfect.

While it does help keep ingredients from drying out, it doesn’t always prevent the crust from getting soggy.

The best way to combat this issue is by baking the dish for the full 40 minutes or so that most pie recipes call for.

Another drawback is the fact that you cannot taste the flavor of your filling after it’s been baked.

That’s because once the crust begins to brown, the heat of the oven causes flavors to evaporate, leaving behind only the smell of the crust.

So, unless you really enjoy a heavy dose of cinnamon, you should probably steer clear of blind baking.

How do you blind bake a pie crust?

There are many ways to blind bake a pie crust, but they all involve the same basic steps.

First, prepare your piecrust.

To do this, roll out the dough until it’s about 1/4 inch thick.

Then transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate and press it into the pie plate, covering the bottom completely.

Next, brush the edges of the dough with water and fold over any excess dough.

Crimp the edges together.

Once you’ve finished creating the crust, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 Celsius) and set the timer to 15 minutes.

Place the crust into the hot oven and bake for 15 minutes.

When the timer goes off, take the crust out of the oven and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the crust from the pie plate and slice it open carefully along its edge to create a small opening.

Now, fill your pie with whatever filling you would like, replace the top of the crust, and return it to the oven.

Cook it for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the center is no longer jiggly.

How do you blind bake a tart shell?

To blind bake a tart shell, you’ll follow the exact same steps as you did with the crust.

However, when it comes to tarts, there’s a bit more to it.

First, you’ll roll out your crust until it’s just large enough to fit inside the pan.

Then you’ll line the pan with the crust and cut a circle in the middle to make room for the filling.

Once you’ve prepared the tart shell, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

Again, set the timer for 15 minutes.

Place the tart shell in the preheated oven and bake it for 15 minutes.

Once the timer goes off, take the tart shell out of the oven and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the tart shell from its pan and enjoy!

What is the difference between blind baking and prebaking?

Blind baking and prebaking are almost exactly the same.

The main difference is that you blind bake a crust before baking it, whereas you prebake a crust after placing it in the oven.

As a result, blind baking is usually recommended for beginners who don’t have much experience in the kitchen.

Is blind baking necessary?

No, blind baking isn’t absolutely necessary.

But it’s helpful when you’re trying to avoid mistakes, such as burning your crust, and when you want to speed up your cooking process.

Plus, it allows you to enjoy the deliciousness of your filling without worrying about whether it tastes good right now or will taste even better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours.

How long do you blind bake a pie crust?

This depends entirely on what kind of crust you’re making.

Typically, a single-crust pie crust will take 5 to 7 minutes to blind bake.

Double-crust pies will take roughly 10 to 12 minutes.

A whole pie shell made from scratch will take 15 to 20 minutes to blind bake.

How long do you blind bake a tart shell?

Again, this depends on the size of your tart shell.

A standard 11-inch round tart shell will take roughly 6 to 8 minutes to blind bake.

If you opt for a larger tart shell, such as a 13-inch round, you’ll need to blind bake it for about 10 to 12 minutes.

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