Blind-Baked Pie Crust
A crisp, fully cooked pie shell baked before filling to prevent a soggy bottom.
Dietary
Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Nut free, Halal, Kosher
Allergens
Dairy, Wheat
Blind baking pre-cooks a pastry crust using pie weights to hold its shape, resulting in a crisp, sturdy shell. This technique is essential for custard, cream, and fruit pies where the filling needs little or no additional baking. The crust chills before baking to minimize shrinkage and keep the edges flaky.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
Method
-
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar.
-
Add the cold cubed butter and cut it into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter remaining.
-
Stir the vinegar into the ice water, then drizzle it over the flour mixture a tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork until the dough just comes together.
-
Gather the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm.
-
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick.
-
Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan, pressing it gently into the bottom and up the sides. Trim excess overhang to 1 inch and fold under or crimp the edge decoratively.
-
Prick the bottom of the crust lightly with a fork in several places, then freeze the shell until firm.
-
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
-
Line the chilled crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans, spreading them evenly to the edges.
-
Bake until the edges are set and lightly golden.
-
Carefully remove the parchment and weights, then return the crust to the oven and bake until the bottom is golden and dry to the touch.
-
Transfer the crust to a wire rack and cool completely before filling.
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Blind-Baked Pie Crust
Blind baking pre-cooks a pastry crust using pie weights to hold its shape, resulting in a crisp, sturdy shell. This technique is essential for custard, cream, and fruit pies where the filling needs little or no additional baking. The crust chills before baking to minimize shrinkage and keep the edges flaky.
2 hr 5 min 8 slices 178 cal
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
Method
- 1
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar.
- 2
Add the cold cubed butter and cut it into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter remaining.
- 3
Stir the vinegar into the ice water, then drizzle it over the flour mixture a tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork until the dough just comes together.
- 4
Gather the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm.
- 5
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick.
- 6
Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan, pressing it gently into the bottom and up the sides. Trim excess overhang to 1 inch and fold under or crimp the edge decoratively.
- 7
Prick the bottom of the crust lightly with a fork in several places, then freeze the shell until firm.
- 8
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- 9
Line the chilled crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans, spreading them evenly to the edges.
- 10
Bake until the edges are set and lightly golden.
- 11
Carefully remove the parchment and weights, then return the crust to the oven and bake until the bottom is golden and dry to the touch.
- 12
Transfer the crust to a wire rack and cool completely before filling.
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