While there’s nothing worse than pastry with a soggy bottom, the extra step of blind baking can be a step too far for many bakers.
Whether you’re making a pumpkin and feta quiche or trying your hand at baking the ultimate apple pie, if you want to ensure your pastries are cooked to perfection then blind baking is essential, right? Well, not if you have a NEFF oven.
What is blind baking?
Blind baking is the process of cooking a pie crust or pastry case on its own before you add the filling to ensure there’s a crispy, crusty bake. When you make a pie with a filling that has a high liquid content, this step is usually required so that the crust can maintain its crumbly texture throughout the bake. When blind baking, you need to weigh down your pie crust with baking beans, rice or baking weights to ensure the layers in your pastry don’t bubble or rise, and then bake it in a hot oven for at least 30 minutes.
And here’s a quick cooking tip for you – if you have a , you can effortlessly check the progress on your blind bake with the fully disappearing door. You can also use this innovative technology to easily remove the pastry from the oven without having to awkwardly lean over an oven door.
Do I need baking beans to blind bake?
Many people prefer to use ceramic or metal baking beans (also known as pie weights) when blind baking, as they can be reused. But there are alternatives to baking beans – some of which you may even have in your cupboard.
If you’re new to blind baking, the simplest homemade solution is rice. It acts as a great pastry weight and does not burn – plus it’s easy to tip out or save to use again. You can also use dried peas or lentils if you have those in your pantry instead.
Do I need to blind bake pastry cases when cooking with wet fillings?
As a general rule, you do need to blind bake when cooking a dish with wet fillings. For example, if you’re making a quiche or frangipane, blind baking the crust first will help ensure the pastry case stays buttery and retains its crunch. This will elevate the overall taste and texture of your dish and stop any of the liquid seeping through.
Will my crust be golden brown if I don’t blind bake?
Blind baking isn’t the only factor in getting a perfect golden brown crust. Other things that can impact your crust looking and tasting the part include your cooking time, whether you’ve brushed the outside with an egg yolk or water and the temperature of your oven.
How can I avoid blind baking?
You can skip the whole blind baking method by using the NEFF Circo Therm® Intensive function. How? The intensive part of this function directs heat to the crust during the cooking process, allowing the bottom to crisp to perfection, while Circo Therm® helps to efficiently circulate the air within the oven ensuring both the crust and the filling can be cooked at the same time. In this instance, your filling will act as your weights and will stop the pastry from bubbling, rising or generally becoming soggy, while the heat distribution in the oven ensures your crust is cooked to perfection.
Some of our favourite recipes that use the blind baking technique include our banoffee tart – a delicious sweet pastry dish that will be an instant hit. But if you want to skip the blind bake with the NEFF Circo Therm® Intensive function, then you can bake savoury classics like our creamy roast pumpkin feta and sage quiche, which makes for an excellent lunch or dinner. Or you give this refreshing glazed strawberry and blueberry flan a go for your next event – it’s a certified crowd favourite.
Want to see a NEFF oven with Circo Therm Intensive® in action? Then book a free product demonstrationtoday. Our NEFF kitchen experts will show you how easy it is to bake your favourite pastries in one hit. And they can show you our brand-new Flex Design range. Seamless kitchen design while baking up a storm? Yes please!
About NEFF
NEFF is a German-engineered kitchen appliance brand, with a product range that includes ovens, cooktops, rangehoods, coffee machines and dishwashersdesigned to make life in the kitchen a daily pleasure.For people who love to cook, NEFF gives you the tools tocreate meaningful connections, express your creativity and make memories. Because real life happens in the kitchen.
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FAQs
Blind baking isn't the only factor in getting a perfect golden brown crust. Other things that can impact your crust looking and tasting the part include your cooking time, whether you've brushed the outside with an egg yolk or water and the temperature of your oven.
Can you bake pastry without blind baking? ›
Blind baking isn't the only factor in getting a perfect golden brown crust. Other things that can impact your crust looking and tasting the part include your cooking time, whether you've brushed the outside with an egg yolk or water and the temperature of your oven.
Does pastry need to be blind baked? ›
Pre-baking or 'baking blind' ensures that the pastry is cooked properly. Most, but not all, tarts call for this. Before baking blind, chill the pastry case for at least 30 minutes, to firm the butter so that the pastry will hold its shape. Heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.
What happens if you don't blind bake a crust? ›
Some recipes like quiches recommend partially cooked pie shells because the baking time wouldn't be long enough to fully cook the dough otherwise. Pre-baking a crust can ensure that your pie or tart crust will be fully baked and browned, and not soggy.
What happens if you don't blind bake puff pastry? ›
Partially cooking your pastry before adding moist fillings will seal the surface and result in a crisp pastry case – it's necessary, because it means your precious pastry won't turn soggy when it's filled and baked.
Can you use tin foil to blind bake pastry? ›
You can blind bake like a pro by keeping a few tips in mind. Line the unbaked pie crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Use pie weights, dried beans, or clean coins to weigh down the lined crust so the bottom doesn't puff and the sides don't slouch while it bakes.
Can I blind bake without weights? ›
Blind-Baking Method: Parchment Paper and Dried Beans
About this method: Using dried beans in place of pie weights is so ubiquitous that you could almost consider this method the control for our experiment. After rolling out and chilling the dough, you line the crust with parchment and pour in the beans.
How do you blind bake pastry without it shrinking? ›
When blind baking, line the pastry with baking paper and fill to the brim with baking beans/uncooked rice, which will support the sides of the pastry and help prevent shrinkage. Start shortcrust off at 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5 to quickly set the pastry. If the oven temperature is too low, the pastry will shrink.
Do all pies need to be blind baked? ›
Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.
Can I blind bake a pastry case the day before? ›
Could I make the pastry and bake it the night before and fill it in the morning. Hello, Yes, you can do that. Once baked, let it cool and then store in an airtight container overnight.
Fill it about two-thirds full with dried beans, uncooked rice (or other uncooked grain berries), pie weights, or granulated sugar. Bake the crust in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 minutes, set on a baking stone or steel if you have one.
Should pie crust be cold before blind baking? ›
Blind baking is done by preparing your pie crust in the pan, leaving it to chill, then filling it with crumpled parchment paper and pie weights of your choice. The weights stop the crust from fully puffing while in the oven.
Why did my pie crust shrink when I blind baked it? ›
A too-high baking temperature can also cause the gluten in the dough to tighten up, causing the crust to shrink. Blind bake pie dough at a low temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Should I prebake my pie crust for pumpkin pie? ›
Too many pumpkin pies have soggy crusts that never fully brown. To avoid this, recipes often call for blind baking your crust. That is, baking the empty crust before the filling is added. This gives the crust time to firm up and brown, time it typically doesn't get if the faster cooking filling is added first.
Is blind baking necessary? ›
Any single-crust pie, tart, or quiche where the crust needs to bake for longer than the filling—or where the filling isn't baked at all—will benefit from a blind-baked crust. If it sounds intimidating, let us reassure you: Blind baking is a simple process and doesn't require much additional prep time.
Can you make pie crust without blind baking? ›
Typically, you only need to blind bake your crust if you're making a single-crust pie with a pre-cooked filling or a no-bake pie. If you're making a pie with a particularly wet filling, you could always partially blind bake or par-bake (more on this below!) your bottom crust to prevent the bottom from becoming soggy.
What else can I use to blind bake pastry? ›
Dried beans or rice works great, or you can use sugar to weigh down the parchment paper. If you use beans or rice, you can use them over and over again for blind baking - just store them in an airtight container. You cannot use them to cook with for regular recipes once you have used them to bind bake.
What is a good substitute for blind baking beans? ›
A large bag of rice is often inexpensive to invest in and can easily fill in a large pie crust area without problems. These medium-size pieces can cover a relatively large area with just a handful of them. Lentils are a colorful option and can easily be poured into the pie crust as a weight to keep the crust firm.
