Learn how to Blind Bake Pie Crust in this tutorial. Blind baking pie crust helps you avoid soggy or undercooked crusts! You'll find instructions for both partial baking and fully baking a pie crust below.
Prepare pie dough according to your recipe's directions. Roll out and place in a pie plate. It is very important to make sure the pie dough is touching all sides of the pie plate and there are no air pockets. Be sure not to stretch the dough to fit the pan but rather lift the dough and use your hand to gently push into place. Crimp edges if desired.
Chill you pie crust for at least 30 minutes before baking. This step is very important as it helps the pie not shrink when baking. Especially if you are using and all butter pie crust recipe.
Line the crust with either parchment paper or aluminum foil. Make sure the paper or foil is large enough that it extends up the sides of the pie.
Fill the pie with pie weights, dry beans, rice, or even white sugar. Make sure the weights are distributed evenly across the bottom and up the sides. This ensures the crust holds its shape and doesn't "slump" while baking.
Place the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in a 375 °F pre-heated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and lift the paper and the weights out of the pie and set aside. Prick the bottom and sides of the pie with a fork. This helps to prevent air pockets from forming.
Return to oven and bake for 7-10 mintues or just until the crust begins to brown for a partially baked crust or for 15-20 minutes or until golden for a fully baked crust.