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.
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.
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
blind baking
Baking blind (sometimes called pre-baking) is the process of baking a pie crust or other pastry without the filling. Blind baking a pie crust is necessary when it will be filled with an unbaked filling (such as with pudding or cream pies), in which case the crust must be fully baked.
Ready Made Pastry cases - You do not need to blind bake ready made shortcrust pastry. These ready made/ready baked pastry cases are ready to use and can usually hold most fillings and if needed, they can be placed in the oven to cook the contents.
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.
Blind Baked pie crusts: Blind baked pie crusts are a fully baked crust and are used for recipes which have a no-bake pie filling, such as a lemon meringue pie, chocolate cream pie, banoffee pie, or a french silk pie. You want to fully bake the crust, as it will not get another chance to crisp up.
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.
If you don't blind bake the crust, the liquid from the filling will prevent the pastry from becoming flaky and crisp. You'll be left with a pie that has a soggy bottom. (It tastes just as bad as it sounds).
You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. 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.
It depends on the type of pie. If you're making an apple pie or a cherry pie there is no need to blind bake. If you're making a pie with pastry cream like a banana cream pie or coconut cream pie, or if you're making a custard pie or a lemon meringue, then you must blind bake.
Here's our problem: As the pie dough bakes, the fat melts. This causes the pie crust to shrink down the sides of the pie dish. And as the fat melts, it creates steam.
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.
Line the base and sides of an uncooked pastry case with non-stick baking paper. Fill with rice, dried beans, or metal or ceramic baking weights. (This stops the pastry base rising during cooking.) Place on a baking tray and cook in an oven preheated to 220C for 8-10 minutes.
This normally happens when the oven is not hot enough or the pastry is not baked for long enough. However, it can also be because too much water was added to the dough.
With docking, the holes allow steam to escape, so the crust should stay flat against the baking dish when it isn't held down by pie weights or a filling. Otherwise the crust can puff up, not only impacting appearance but also leaving you with less space for whatever filling you have planned.
If your recipe doesn't have instructions and you're wondering how long to pre bake the pie, here's what I do: I pre bake the prepped pie crust at 350°F. If the crust is homemade from scratch, I pre bake for 35 minutes.If the crust is store-bought, I pre bake for 30 minutes.
Line the base and sides of an uncooked pastry case with non-stick baking paper. Fill with rice, dried beans, or metal or ceramic baking weights. (This stops the pastry base rising during cooking.) Place on a baking tray and cook in an oven preheated to 220C for 8-10 minutes.
Jus-Rol's Puff Pastry Cases are perfect for dinner starters and party treats. Just bake them up in the oven and spoon in your favourite sweet or savoury fillings. They can be served hot or cold.
If you're going to fill it completely, so a sauce or something, no, you shouldn't need to blind bake it. But it will effect your baking time. Rule of thumb with pie baking is, you need to have the pastry baked before the filling boils. If the filling boils, it will seep through your pastry, and it's just bad.
If you want to make a puff pastry base for your pie
As you warm up your oven, put a baking tray in to heat up.Then when you put your pie in the oven, sit the dish on top of the hot baking tray. I find that this really helps to cook the base of the Steak Pie and stop a soggy bottom.
Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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