Parchment paper fared best; its more permeable structure allowed the shell to breathe—and then brown—as it baked. It's our go-to choice for blind baking, with foil as a backup.
Blind-Baking Method: Aluminum Foil and Sugar. This method from pastry wizard Stella Parks has you line the crust with aluminum before filling it with sugar. She also has you bake the crust at a lower temperature — 350°F — for a full hour, leaving the sugar in the crust the entire time.
Line the crust with aluminum foil with enough foil to completely cover the sides, and then fill with a layer of pie weights (or dried beans, salt, sugar, etc...) to fill about 2/3 up the crust sides. Place pie crust on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, carefully remove the foil and weights.
To grease pie pans really is a personal choice though. If you feel more comfortable greasing them, you should. Just make sure it is with pan release or softened butter.
These weightier options are often used when baking paper or tin foil are used to cover the pastry for blind-baking, both of which have their merits.
Parchment paper fared best; its more permeable structure allowed the shell to breathe—and then brown—as it baked. It's our go-to choice for blind baking, with foil as a backup.
Summary: Aluminum foil can endure high temperatures, but doesn't have the non-stick qualities of parchment paper. Be sure to grease it thoroughly if using it in the oven.
Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven, and lift out the paper and weights. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, to prevent bubbles. Return the crust to the oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the crust is golden all over.
To fully blind bake pie crust, bake it at 425°F until the crust begins to turn golden, 17 to 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and pie weights, and continue to bake until the crust is evenly browned and looks crisp, which should take another 5 to 10 minutes.
Prick holes in the crust.
To prevent the pie crust from puffing up too much while blind baking, prick the pie crust with a fork. Space the markings every inch around the crust to create air holes for the steam to escape.
When Not to Use Parchment Paper. Parchment paper is not designed for high-heat cooking. Avoid using it in your oven or on the grill if temperature will exceed 400 degrees, says Michelle Weaver, chef at Charleston Grill in South Carolina, as there's a chance it could catch fire.
Wax paper features a thin, waxy coating on each side that makes it both nonstick and moisture-resistant (though it tends to absorb more water than parchment). It's a great substitute for parchment if you're looking to save money, as parchment paper usually ends up costing twice as much.
Most parchment paper is rated for use at temperatures no higher than 420 to 450 degrees. But we occasionally recommend using this liner for bread and pizza baked as high as 500 degrees.
If a recipe calls for blind baking and you don't use any pie weights during baking, your crust will most likely not hold its shape, fill puff up unevenly and be much harder to fill. Unfortunately, without something to weigh down the dough, it can shrink.
Conversely, aluminum foil makes a much better shield than parchment, and can reflect heat away from food to keep it from burning. This is especially helpful for pie and poultry, two things whose outsides have a tendency to brown more quickly than their insides cook.
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.
Chill
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. You can wrap the piecrust in plastic wrap and freeze overnight. (Be sure to use a metal or aluminum pie pan if you freeze the piecrust.) This step is optional, but it does help with the flakiest pie crust possible.
Take a look at the bottom. You want it to look dry and flaky, but still pale. For a fully baked crust, cook until the bottom turns a light golden color.
Wet pie fillings + raw dough are a tricky combination. If the bottom crust doesn't set before the filling soaks in, it's going to be gummy. A metal pie pan placed on a preheated surface will set the bottom crust quickest; once cooked, the liquids from the filling above won't soak in, and as a result: no soggy bottom.
How far in Advance can you Blind Bake? One of the best parts about blind baking is you can bake your pastry well in advance, up to three days ahead of time. To store the pie crust place it in an airtight container or wrap it with plastic leaving it at room temperature.
Make ahead: You can blind bake a pie crust up to 3 days ahead of time. Just let it cool, wrap it well, and keep it at room temperature until ready to fill. Pie crust can be made up to 3 days ahead of time! Just keep it in the fridge, well wrapped.
You could use coins in place of baking beans, but you will want to make sure that the coins are washed and/or you completely cover the pastry with foil or parchment paper to avoid the coins touching the food.
Unfold the parchment paper and test out your shield on the pie plate to see if the crust will be sufficiently covered. You may need to trim the outside edges of the parchment paper, if there is a lot of excess that hangs off. Now you have an easy one-time-use parchment shield that will prevent your crust from burning!
Aluminum Foil with Oil: Good for Baking, Especially at Hotter Temperatures. Aluminum foil with oil is another good substitute for parchment paper. As with a greased baking sheet, the fat may subtly impact the way your food cooks.
While foil and plastic wrap seal out air, parchment paper allows foods to breathe a little when wrapped. This means exterior crusts stay crisp, instead of getting soggy.