Co-op Food | How to Bake Blind, by Co-op on YouTube. 1 min 16 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 16 s
- Time to do it
- 25 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Heat the oven to 200C, 180C fan or gas 6. Roll out your pastry and line the tart tin, pressing it gently into the corners.
Prick the base all over with a fork. This lets steam escape and stops air bubbles forming under the pastry as it bakes.
Scrunch a sheet of greaseproof paper into a ball, then unfold it. The creases make it much easier to press into the tin.
Press the paper into the case and fill it to the top with baking beans, dried pasta or dried pulses so the pastry cannot rise.
Sit the tin on a hot baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. The hot tray helps the base cook through from below.
Pull the tin out, lift off the paper and beans, and bake for another 5 minutes until the base is dry and slightly golden.
Fill the warm case with your quiche or fruit tart mixture, or let it cool first if the filling is no-bake.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep a separate bag of dried pasta or beans just for baking blind and reuse them each time.
Do not skip the hot baking tray, because it is what gives you a crisp base rather than a soggy one.
If the pastry puffs up during the first bake, press it down gently with the back of a spoon.
Use oven gloves, pull the shelf out slowly and keep the hot tray away from children.
Questions
What does baking blind mean?
It means baking a pastry case empty, with paper and weights inside, so the pastry sets and crisps up before a wet filling goes in. It is the usual fix for a soggy bottom.
Can I use rice instead of baking beans?
Yes. Any dried pulse, dried pasta or uncooked rice works as a weight. Ceramic baking beans are reusable and last for years.
Do I need to blind bake if my filling is not baked?
Yes. The case must be fully cooked first, then cooled before you add a no-bake filling such as fresh fruit or cream.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
