How To Blind Bake Pie Crust (Ultimate Guide)

This baking guide will teach you how to blind bake pie crust like a pastry pro! It's an essential technique that ensures your crust turns out perfectly flaky, golden brown, and sturdy enough to hold all your favorite sweet and savory fillings. This comprehensive guide takes you through the entire blind baking process and offers plenty of tips and tricks, so you can say goodbye to soggy bottoms forever!

Jump to:

• How to blind bake pie crust
• Why blind bake pie crust
• Blind baked vs. Partially baked Pie Crust
• What are pie weights
• How to dock pie crust
• How long does the pie crust bake after removing the weights
• How to blind bake pie crust without weights
• How long do you bake a pie crust unfilled
• How to tell when a pie crust is fully baked
• How to prevent a pie crust from shrinking
• Pie Crust Troubleshooting
• Expert tips
• Equipment notes
• Blind Bake Pie Crust FAQs
• Related Pie Recipes
• How To Blind Bake Pie Crust

How to blind bake pie crust

If you're wondering, what does blind bake pie crust mean? Blind baking is a technique that involves pre-baking the pie crust before adding any filling. The process is simple and starts by rolling out and laying your raw pie dough into a pie pan, just like you would with any other pie crust recipe.

However, instead of filling the crust and immediately baking your pie, you then line the raw crust with a sheet of parchment paper and fill it with pie weights. Next, you partially bake it for a bit before removing the pie weights and returning it to the oven to finish baking until golden brown.

Why blind bake pie crust

Blind baking pie crust serves several essential purposes that contribute to creating the perfect pie. This technique is crucial for achieving a crisp and flaky texture as well as an even bake. It’s particularly beneficial when making pies or tarts with creamy fillings like a ricotta pie or a coffee tart, as well as pies with no-bake fillings and no top crust. Once you learn how to blind bake pie crust, you can create a sturdy foundation that can hold any filling.

But, do you have to blind bake pie crust? It’s a common question. The answer depends on the type of pie you are making, the type of filling, whether it has a top crust, etc. Learn more about it below.

Blind baked vs. Partially baked Pie Crust

It's important to understand that blind-baked pie crust and partially baked pie crust are not the same thing. These two techniques have distinct differences. During blind baking, the crust is fully pre-baked without any filling. This makes the crust perfect for custard or cream pies like pumpkin pie or those that don't require additional cooking like mini strawberry pies.

On the other hand, partially baked pie crust is only half-baked before the filling is added. I personally hardly ever half-bake pie crust and to avoid soggy pie, almost always recommended fully pre-bake pie crust. If there is concern regarding pie crust browning too much at the second baking with the filling in, you can always cover the edges with aluminum foil.

What are pie weights

Pie weights are small, most often ceramic or metal, balls used in blind baking a pie crust. Placed on top of the crust right before baking, they prevent it from puffing up and help the crust to maintain its shape and structure. Yet, if you don't have any pie weights, you can easily use a pie weights substitute such as dry beans, uncooked rice, or even marbles to serve the same purpose.

How to dock pie crust

Docking pie crust is the process of pricking small holes on the surface of the crust. It's typically done using a fork or a special tool called a dough docker. The primary purpose of docking is to prevent the crust from puffing up during the baking process by allowing any trapped air or steam to escape. This ensures that the crust bakes evenly, resulting in a flat and uniform base for fillings.

This simple technique is an important step in how to blind-bake pie crust properly. It's done right after the pie weights are removed and before the crust goes back into the oven.

How long does the pie crust bake after removing the weights

After removing the pie weights, the crust typically needs to bake for about 14 to 15 minutes. However, the exact baking time may vary depending on your recipe and oven, so it's essential to keep a close eye on the crust during this final stage.

How to blind bake pie crust without weights

Blind baking a pie crust without using pie weights is indeed possible with the use of a perforated baking mat and perforated tart tin. In fact, my shortcut pastry recipe is a perfect example! This specialized baking equipment has holes in it, allowing for efficient airflow and heat distribution. This prevents the pie dough from puffing up in the oven and eliminates the need for pie weights. 

However, it is not possible to blind-bake pie crust without weights using traditional baking equipment like a pie dish. Almost all traditional pie recipes are designed to use pie weights. 

How long do you bake a pie crust unfilled

Typically, a crust needs to be blind-baked for about 30 minutes. However, it depends on the size of the pie dish, also whether your recipe calls for a fully blind baked or partially blind baked crust as well the oven temperature. All these variables matter.

How to tell when a pie crust is fully baked

There are several key indicators to look for that will let you know when your pie crust is done baking. First, it should be golden brown on the surface and not appear doughy or undercooked as you can see on my pie crust below. Additionally, the edges will be crisp and slightly pulling away from the sides of the pan.

How to prevent a pie crust from shrinking

How to blind bake a pie crust without shrinking is a common challenge for bakers, but there are several steps that you can take to avoid this problem. To begin, chill the dough before rolling it out to give the gluten time to relax. Also, avoid stretching the dough when placing it into the pie dish and instead use gentle pushing movements to mold the dough. Then once the pie crust is formed, chill it once again and add pie weights before baking. 

Following these steps will teach you how to bake a pie crust without shrinking issues and result in a beautiful pie shell for all your delicious fillings!

Pie Crust Troubleshooting

Even experienced bakers can encounter some challenges when it comes to learning how to blind bake pie crust. These are a few common problems that may arise and solutions to ensure that your baked crust turns out perfect.

Problem: Cracks in the pie dough

Solution: If your pie dough develops cracks while rolling, it may be due to the dough being too dry. To fix this, just lightly moisten your fingers with water and then gently press the cracks together. It’s also important to let your dough rest at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling it out. This gives the gluten a little time to relax, which makes the dough more pliable and less prone to cracking.

Make sure to use a digital scale while making the dough as the flour scooping method is simply not accurate.

Problem: Pie dough is too sticky

Solution: If your pie is too sticky, it is because you added too much moisture (typically water) to the dough or you used the butter soft (instead of very cold), and that has melted into the dough. Instead of adding more flour, first, try to chill the dough. If chilling does not help, add a very small amount of flour to the dough and observe whether it makes the dough more easy to handle.

Make sure to use a digital scale while making the dough as the flour scooping method is simply not accurate.

Problem: Pie dough shrinks during baking

Solution: If your pie dough shrinks during baking, it is because it must have been "pulled" instead of "pushed" into the pie dish. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do with the pie crust at this point. However, you can make sure to avoid stretching the dough when placing it into the pie dish and chill the dough or even freeze it for 30 minutes before baking.

Problem: Pie crust over-browning edges

Solution: If the edges of your pie shell are browning too quickly during baking, you can cover them with aluminum foil. This will prevent them from getting too dark while allowing the rest of the crust to finish baking.

Also, use digital oven thermometer to be able to monitor your real oven temperature.

Problem: Pie crust bakes uneven

Solution: Unevenly baked pie crusts can result from uneven distribution of heat. To fix this, try rotating the pie dish halfway through the baking process to ensure even browning. Additionally, using perforated equipment in place of pie weights can help to create better heat distribution and result in a more uniform bake.

As mentioned, a digital oven thermometer is very useful especially if you tend to struggle with your oven.

Problem: Pie has soggy bottom 

Solution: Bling baking itself is part of the solution to avoid soggy bottom. Additionally, you will want to use enough thickening agent in the filling, how much exactly, depends on the recipe.

Also, after you remove the pie weights, brush a thin layer of egg wash on the crust before putting it back in the oven to finish baking. The egg wash acts as a barrier to help seal the crust and prevent it from becoming too wet from the filling during baking. My egg wash guide goes into greater detail.

Expert tips

1. When working with the pie dough, handle it gently to avoid overworking the dough, which can make the crust tough.
2. Make sure that your butter is cold and that you use ice cold water when making any pie dough recipe. 
3. Use a fork to prick small holes in the crust after removing the pie weights. This allows steam to escape and reduces the likelihood of air bubbles forming.
4. Make the edges of your pie shell glossy by brushing them with an egg wash made with a mixture of egg yolk and a splash of milk before the crust goes in to finish baking. 
5. After placing the dough into the pie dish, flute the edges with your fingers. Fluting not only adds visual appeal but also helps the crust hold its shape.
6. Use pie weights during the first half of the blind baking to prevent the crust from puffing.

Equipment notes

Mastering how to blind bake pie crust begins with having the right equipment. When making your pie dough, a digital scale is essential for accurately measuring the ingredients, and a digital oven thermometer will help you have precise control of the temperature during baking. Remember, baking is a science, and these two important tools help to ensure that your crust comes out just right.

You’ll also need a rolling pin and silicone baking mats to roll the dough out into a crust. Then for baking, most pie recipes call for a 9-inch/23-cm pie dish. And to bake the pie shell like a pro, don’t forget to get yourself some pie weights or use a substitute like dried beans or uncooked rice to prevent the crust from puffing up while it’s baking.

Blind Bake Pie Crust FAQs

Related Pie Recipes