Household Electricals Shop all Household Electricals Dry:Soon Heated Airers Heated Blankets & Mattress Protectors Irons & Clothes Steamers Air Purifiers A pizza stone is a great substitute for pie weightsbecause it can help to evenly distribute the heat while cooking the crust. The problem for many home bakers is that recipes simply ask for a crust to be “blind baked” without describing what this involves or how to do it. Well that’s where this article comes in! Blind baking pastry for a showstopping dessert? Create golden pastry using a basic egg or milk wash. Sugar is cheap and in every kitchen pantry. Simply mold some aluminum foil around the pie crust and up the sides, then fill the crust with sugar. It will fill every nook and cranny of the pie tin, making sure that the dough is firmly in place.

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 29 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Place your thumb at the corner of the square where all of the folds meet (this would be the centre point of the paper if you unfolded it). Fold the square diagonally from the corner your thumb is marking to form a triangle shape.They’re made out of dried pulses like peas or lentils (hence the name), and they have a similar texture and weight as regular baking beans do when they’re dried out. Now you know about the importance of blind baking pastry and how to do it, why not start whipping up a few delicious treats? This sumptuous Salted Caramel and Chocolate Tart is a chocoholic’s dream, while a batch of Gluten-Free Spinach and Ricotta Tartlets will make the ideal canapes for your next dinner party. Soggy bottoms, be gone! Glass marbles are another great alternative because they have the same density as ceramic or metal ones. These are basically just round little ceramic discs with holes in them for air circulation during baking (just like real pie weights).

This makes them ideal for use as pie weights because they will evenly distribute the heat and not leave any bumps or ridges in your crust.

All you need to do is preheat your oven to the desired temperature and then coat the bottom and sides of your pie crust with meringue powder. This one is pretty self-explanatory: if you don’t have enough baking beans to fit in your pie dish, just use another smaller dish and put it on top of your pie dish. Some people swear by this method, but it doesn’t work for all types of pastry, and it isn’t foolproof. It is certainly not advisable for pies with wet fillings, as these can seep through the holes and then into or under the crust itself. Cleaning Electricals - Steam Cleaners - Vacuums & Sweepers - Hard Floor Cleaners & Polishers - Carpet Cleaners It’s a great substitute for pie weights because it’s absorbent and will soak up moisture from the dough.