Step-by-step method how to blind bake pastry crust. This method is easy to follow and is necessary when the crust will be filled with an unbaked filling. Blind baking is also used to keep the crust from becoming soggy due to a wet filling.
Equipment
- Loose-bottom flan ring, 25cm
- Rolling pin
- Fork
- Greaseproof paper
- Baking beans or dried beans (we used a mix of baking beans and dried cannellini beans)
- Butter (to grease flan)
- 200g sweet short pastry (click here for recipe)
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.
- Take pastry out of the fridge and dust worktop with flour.
- Roll out (3mm thick) to a circle slightly larger than 25cm diameter.
- Take the rolling pin and set it on top of the flattened dough. Press down lightly and let the pin rotate as you push it.
- Grease lightly the loose-bottom flan ring.
- Place the rolling pin with the pastry at the edge of the ring and push it towards you to roll it out and cover the whole ring.
- Prick the pastry with a fork and line with greaseproof paper. Fill with baking beans or any other kind of dried beans. Place it in the fridge and leave for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes take it out and bake for 11 minutes.
- Take it out of the oven, remove greaseproof paper and beans and replace in the oven. Bake for further 9 minutes until pastry is lightly browned.
- Take it out of the oven, trim away the overhanging pastry and leave it to cool until required. Use within 24 hours.
robandjas 