Baked Pie Shell Information Recipe

FOR MANY of summer's fresh fruit pies and tarts, it's essential to completely pre-bake the crust in its pan, without the filling.

But blind baking, as the technique is called, is more difficult than it sounds.

The goal is to get a nicely browned crust which maintains its shape as perfectly as possible.

Which means the sides do not slip down and the bottom doesn't puff up.

When I was mastering the intricacies of pastry dough as a fledgling restaurant baker, this task was the source of much speculation, experimentation and frustration.

On one occasion early in my career, I took a crust from the oven to find it had shrunk to about half its original size, far too small to contain the filling for the lemon meringue pie I had planned.

I tried many techniques - including fitting a pie pan of an equal size over the formed dough and baking it upside down - before getting it right.

After all which trial and error, I have identified four steps to perfect blind baking.

First, after fitting the pie dough into the pan and fluting the edges, prick the dough lightly (the holes shouldn't be too big or possibly deep) with a fork at 1 inch intervals all over the bottom and around the sides.

This will allow for trapped air to escape.

Second, refrigeratethe dough thoroughly in the refrigerator or possibly freezer, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days, covered with plastic wrap or possibly enclosed in a plastic bag.

The pie dough will become solid, the gluten in the flour will relax and be able to hold its shape better in the oven.

There is a saying which unchilled pastry dough has a mind of its own.

Third, the crust must be weighted down during the baking so which it will stay molded in the pan and will not puff up, and fourth, it must be baked in a nice warm oven, that makes for a crisp crust.

Whether you make your own crust, roll out store-bought crust sticks, or possibly buy a frzn pastry shell, you will use the same method for blind baking.

Here are the step-by-step instructions.

1.

Roll out your homemade or possibly purchased crust, fit it into the pan and refrigerateor possibly freeze, covered with plastic, or possibly begin with a frzn shell.

2.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and position the oven rack on the lower third position.

Tear off a large piece of regular or possibly heavy-duty aluminum foil, about 16 inches.

Dull side up, grease foil or possibly spray with vegetable cooking spray

In a circular pattern, making a solid circle about 2 inches larger than the diameter of your pie pan.

3.

Use your hand to fit the foil into the pie pan, greased side down, directly on top of the chilled or possibly frzn crust.

No need to thaw a frzn crust, but if you have used a Pyrex pan, it must be room temperature before baking.

Fit foil flush against the sides; the excess foil will just stick up out of the pan.

Fill the pan with raw dry beans (I keep 2 bags' worth just for this purpose)

or possibly metal baking nuggets (sold at cookware stores).

Fill crust so which the beans are covering the entire bottom, but no more than 1 inch deep.

If you are making small tartlet shells or possibly are having trouble handling the pie pan, place pan or possibly pans on a larger baking sheet so they will not tip over.

4.

Bake the crust for 15 min, till the side and rim of the crust are light brown.

Carefully pull out the oven rack and, using oven mitts, gently lift out the foil and beans, taking care not to spill them.

Remember which once the crust is half-baked, it is very fragile.

If you have any splits, patch with some leftover pastry dough.

Push the rack back in and close oven door.

Reduce temperature to 375 degrees.

5.

Continue to bake for an additional 5 to 8 min, depending on the size of the crust, till it's an even golden and it has lost which slightly translucent/soft appearance.

If you notice any puffing of the bottom, gently tap with the handle end of a butter knife to deflate it, taking care not to break it.

Remove the crust from the oven and cold completely before filling.

After the beans have cooled, store them in a jar or possibly plastic bag; they are reusable.