To get a crisp pastry shell, with no signs of sogginess, follow these simple blind baking steps.
Partially cooking your pastry before adding moist fillings will seal the surface and result in a crisp pastry case – it’s necessary, because it means your precious pastry won’t turn soggy when it’s filled and baked.
Do I need to blind bake pastry cases when cooking with wet fillings? As a general rule, you do need to blind bake when cooking a dish with wet fillings. For example, if you’re making a quiche or frangipane, blind baking the crust first will help ensure the pastry case stays buttery and retains its crunch.
What can I use for blind baking? And can you blind bake without weights?
It’s not recommended to blind bake without any weight, because the pastry will puff up and it won’t cook evenly if there’s nothing holding it down. But if you don’t have traditional baking beads, you can use dry rice, pasta, beans or even sugar! Anything that’s heavy enough to hold down a piece of baking paper.
How to blind bake shortcrust pastry
After placing the pastry in its tin, use a fork to prick the base all over to remove any air pockets. Line the case with baking paper, then fill with baking weights, or uncooked rice, to prevent the pastry from warping and bubbling as it cooks.
Put the tin on a baking tray and place into a preheated 220°C oven for 8-10 minutes. By this stage the pastry should just be beginning to colour.
Remove the tray and pastry case from the oven. Carefully remove the baking paper and weights or rice. Place the empty pastry case and tray back into the oven for a further 5-10 minutes or until light golden and dry. Allow the pastry case to cool in its tin before filling or continuing with the next stage of your recipe.
How To Use Frozen Puff Pastry Dough
FAQ
Do you cook pastry before adding filling?
Should I pre cook puff pastry?
Do you put puff pastry on hot or cold filling?
How long do you bake puff pastry before filling?
Do you put puff pastry on a baking sheet?
If you’re making a tart or filled Puff Pastry, place it on the baking sheet before adding toppings or fillings. That way, you won’t have to transfer the dough with the extra weight and risk tearing it. For extra-thin, crisp Puff Pastry, set a second baking sheet on top of the filled pastry before baking.
Can You bake puff pastry at room temperature?
Puff Pastry fillings should be at room temperature. If they’re hot, they can begin to melt the pastry layers, which will affect the pastry’s ability to rise and puff. The kind of pan you use can affect baking times. A nonstick or dark glazed baking sheet may bake faster, so adjust your time and check pastry while baking.
Should puff pastry be refrigerated?
Thaw the pastry overnight in the refrigerator or for about 30 minutes at room temperature, and be sure it’s pliable before working with it. 2. Leaving the puff pastry at room temperature too long. When left at room temperature too long, puff pastry’s main ingredient, butter, starts to soften and melt.
Can you use puff pastry instead of pie crust?
You can use puff pastry instead of pie crust if you bling bake, but the results will bring you back to this article right here. Moisture is a problem, and a pie always has a moist filling, that’s the whole point. What you can do is make pies without a top layer, but then they’d be more of a tart or a quiche.