Lesson 3 of 5 · Pie & Tart Crust Masterclass

Blind baking

  • Free video
  • Intermediate
  • Pies & Tarts
  • 16 min
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Video by Pastry Living with Aya on YouTube: “How To Make Perfect Tart Crust (No Blind Baking Needed!) *UPDATED*” Watch on YouTube ↗

What you'll learn

Lesson 3 of 5

Bake crusts ahead for custard and cream pies, and see a tart-crust method that skips pie weights by keeping the shell very cold.

  • Blind bake for fillings that bake briefly or not at all
  • Chill or freeze the shell first so it holds its shape
  • Pie weights stop the bottom from puffing and the sides from slumping

Ingredients for this lesson

Madagascar Vanilla Extract, 4 oz BottleVanillaGoods$19.00
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Tahitian Vanilla Beans, Grade B, 5 BeansVanillaGoods$12.00
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Lesson notes from VanillaGoods

When to blind bake

Cream pies, chilled pies and many custard pies need a crust that's partly or fully baked before the filling goes in; otherwise the bottom stays pale and soggy.

Classic blind baking

  • Dock the bottom with a fork and freeze the lined pan 30 minutes
  • Line with parchment and fill to the top with pie weights or dried beans
  • Bake at 375–400°F about 20 minutes, until the edges are set
  • Remove the weights and bake 5–15 minutes more, partly or until fully golden
  • Brush with beaten egg white in the last minutes to seal it against wet fillings

In this video

The tart crust shown uses a sweet, almond-flour dough fitted into the pan, chilled well and docked, so it can bake without weights. It's a great option for tart shells; for flaky pie dough, weights are still the safest choice.

← Lesson 2Next: Sweet tart shell (pâte sucrée) →

Tools for this lesson

The equipment that makes this easier. VanillaGoods vanilla is always our own; these tools are from Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate, VanillaGoods earns from qualifying purchases. We only suggest tools that fit what you're learning.

Put it into practice

Bake along with a VanillaGoods recipe that uses this technique.

Find vanilla pie recipes

Videos are embedded from YouTube with the official player and belong to their creators. VanillaGoods is not affiliated with these creators unless stated; lesson notes and product suggestions are our own.