How to Blind Bake Pastry
Pastry
If you are new to baking pastry, you have probably stumbled across the words 'blind baking' within in your recipe - keep your eyes open, it's not as scary as it seems. This simply means baking your pastry before adding in any of your yummy filling.
Simply follow our quick 'how to' guide below to avoid a soggy bottom on your pastry bakes.
Method
Step 1
Begin by lightly greasing your pastry base.
Step 2
Next lightly dust the inside of your tin with flour. Tip your tin over and tap the bottom to remove any loose, excess flour that is not stuck to your tin.
Step 3
Roll your pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin, then carefully roll up over your rolling pin, lift and position above the tin and unroll.
Step 4
Use a small ball of leftover pastry to press the pastry in to place around the rim and base of the tin. Leave an overhang of pastry around the sides when baking as your pastry may shrink in the oven.
Step 5
Prick the base of your pastry with a fork.
Step 6
Cover the pastry with parchment paper then fill with ceramic baking beans. Alternatively you could use dried pulses or rice. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the pastry has firmed up (follow the bake time specified in your recipe) then remove the baking beans and paper and bake for a further 5 minutes until the pastry becomes golden in colour.