How to blind bake pastry
We show you how to pre-cook your pastry base - a sure-fire way to avoid the dreaded soggy bottom.
Roll the pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin, about 4cm (1.5 inches) wider than the tin you’re lining. (If it's a deep tin, you'll need to roll it wider.)
Use the rolling pin to lift the pastry and help you position it over the tin.
Press the pastry in using your fingertips and then push it into the corners using a rolled-up ball of pastry trimmings which you have dusted with flour.
Leave an overhang of pastry around the sides of the tin.
Prick the base of the pastry case all over with a fork.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 or the stated temperature for the recipe you are using.
Line the tart tin with baking parchment and fill with ceramic baking beans or dried pulses.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until the pastry is firm, then remove the beans and cook for about 5 minutes more, until golden brown and biscuity.
Trim off any excess using a small serrated knife before filling.
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Comments, questions and tips (3)
parkerbPfDiQLP
I make small tartlet cases shop bought shortcrust pastry) and need to blind bake to fill later, I use greaseproof paper cut big enough to allow me to put plenty of ceramic baking beads in which I make sure are evenly distributed and pushed to the edges yet despite all this the sides still puff up,…
dravidramdass92Dq0DBxl1
What is tasteless and colorless in pastry? My teacher gave us a crossword for marks and I can't figure it outttttt.
john9hU0wCan
Water!
martinhughes@icloud.com
Shortcrust problems: I have made some frangipani tarts in Silpat Silicone tartlette moulds. The pastry was blind baked with ceramic baking beans, however the base puffed up and the pastry was a bit tough. When making the pastry I worked the food processor for significantly longer than the BBC vdo.…
lulu_grimes
Hello Martin, Yes that sounds right, pastry doesn't like being over processed, you may also not be pricking it enough? If I am making a small amount I tend to do it by hand as I also find it easy to over process. You can also push the base of the pastry back down when it is hot if it just has a…
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