What is Blind-Baking?

Blind baking is a term used to describe the baking of a pie crust prior to filling it. This pre-bake browns the crust and adds a layer of golden flakiness that will hold the filling. Blind baking ensures that unbaked pies don’t have a raw crust, lightly baked pies don’t have a doughy crust, and fully baked pies don’t have a soggy crust. Any crust that can’t be described as flaky is less than perfect.

This technique is required for any pie that will contain an unbaked filling and for pies that will have a short baking time to ensure that the crust is actually baked. For pies like pumpkin and pecan that will bake for awhile it is not a required step, since they do stay in the oven long enough for the crust to bake. Nevertheless, it is a highly recommended option that adds quality to the crust and thus the whole pie. After all, who doesn’t love a flaky golden pie crust?

Instructions for Blind Baking

1. Roll out the dough and place it into the pie dish.


2. Lightly prick the bottom of the dough with a fork in several spots.
   This will keep bubbles from forming in the crust as it bakes.





3. Refrigerate the unbaked crust for 30 minutes.


4. Here’s a trick to keep the bottom crust even flatter as it bakes.
   Crumple a piece of parchment paper (this helps it mold to the surface when baking) and then open it back up and then place it on top of the pie dough. Place dried beans, or rice, or pie weights if you have them, on top of the parchment paper.


5. Bake in a pre-heated 375°F oven until the edges begin to see color, about 15 minutes.


6. Remove the paper and whatever you put on top of the paper.


7. Put the pie back in the oven until the center also browns – about 15 more minutes for a no-bake pie and about 5 more minutes for a pie that will be filled and then baked. Be careful that the crust does not over brown.