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.
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. Additionally, there is a chance that some of the food may stick to the pan.
Aluminum foil works well as an alternative to parchment paper but it's best suited for thicker batters such as brownies or bars. Cakes made with thinner batters may be challenging to remove from the foil. Foil isn't non-stick but can still be a good choice if all other options are unavailable.
Since parchment paper is often used to create a nonstick surface, greasing the pan will accomplish the same results. Coat your cookie sheet or pan with cooking spray, butter, or oil. Then, lay the food directly on the pan. This will work for everything but the most delicate or gooey treats.
Aluminum foil is safe to use up to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) in the oven and for direct heat grilling. Keep in mind that lining your oven with aluminum is not recommended as it could damage the oven's heating elements.
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.
Many online sources recommend cutting multiple strips of aluminum foil and crimping them around the outer edge of your pie crust before baking it to prevent the edge of the crust from burning while the filling cooks.
If you're new to blind baking, the simplest homemade solution is rice – rice acts as a great pastry weight and does not burn. It's also easy to tip out or save to use again. Other options include dried peas or lentils.
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.
Another way to keep the bottom of the pastry from puffing during baking is to line it with plastic wrap, then fill with pie weights (Step 2). You can also use 4 to 5 cups of dry beans or rice, which may be stored in a jar and reused indefinitely.
I've used the same rice for years! If you want a golden shiny crust, brush the edges with an egg wash made of 1 whisked egg + 1 Tbsp water before baking. If the bottom of the crust puffs up after its second baking, simply push it back down with the back of a spoon.
Silicone baking mats will save you lots of parchment paper and aluminum foil. If you consider that a big box of parchment paper for $10 dollars contains 500 sheets, we can say that using silicone baking mats instead of this kind of paper will help you save money in the long term.
Remove the crust from the refrigerator and line the shell with parchment paper. Make sure the parchment paper is large enough that it's easy to pick up by the ends once it's time to remove the pie weights. Don't use wax paper, it smokes.
Left to their own devices, pie crusts will bubble, puff, crater, and become misshapen while blind baking in the oven. While bakers can use dried beans, raw rice, pennies, and granulated sugar as pie weights, we like to use the best product designed specifically for the job: pie weights.
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!
Egg wash can be just egg, but typically it is a whole egg, yolk, or white that is whisked together with either water, milk, or cream. Does egg wash keep crusts from burning? No, it doesn't. In fact, it promotes browning and shine.
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.
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.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Place parchment paper in the bottom of the pie crust, making sure to make the parchment flush with the crust. Fill the pie with pie weights, rice, lentils, or beans. (Note: the rice, lentils, and beans will not be usable for cooking after blind baking in this manner.)
Which Side of The Foil Goes Up? The shiny side should be down, facing the food, and the dull side should be up when cooking meals wrapped or covered in aluminum foil since it has a shiny and dull side. This is due to its greater reflectiveness, the shiny side will reflect more heat radiation than the dull side.