How to do blind baking

Name: How to do blind baking
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 0
Ingredients: Type 00 flour 2 cups; Butter cold 0.55 cup; Powdered sugar ¾ cup; Egg yolks 2; Fine salt 1 pinch; Butter cold 3.5 oz; Water iced 4 ¾ tbsp; Type 00 flour 1.6 cups; Fine salt 1 pinch

it br es fr de

Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Makes: pieces
Cost: Low
Note plus 30 minutes of resting in the refrigerator

PRESENTATION

Ever tried mastering the art of cottura alla cieca, or blind baking? It's one of those classic Italian methods that really, really makes your pie or tart bases come out perfectly crispy and even. Seriously good. In Italy, this technique is a staple for both sweet delights and savory torte salate. You know the trick? Bake the crust before adding any fillings, especially when they don't need more cooking, like pastry cream or jam.

Typically, you'll use pasta frolla or pasta brisée—they’re kinda crumbly but sturdy for the oven. So here's the thing: line your pan with dough, add carta forno (baking paper), and fill it with legumi secchi such as beans or chickpeas. These weights keep the crust flat. For sure. No puffiness. And look, remember, these beans are just for baking—don't cook them afterward. Save them for your next session.

The cottura in bianco method really ensures your crust bakes evenly, dodging that dreaded sogginess at the bottom. The weight from the beans—or sometimes special pesi per cottura like ceramic balls—helps maintain a nice, flat base per crostata. Some bakers poke holes in the dough too. Pretty simple. This technique, known as bucherellare la base, lets steam out, preventing bubbling.

Thing is, this might be simple, but it elevates your baking game. And look, your tarts will have that tender yet firm base. Perfect for slicing. Whether you're opting for a sweet jam filling or a savory mix of cheese and veggies, this tecnica di cottura provides a solid foundation. It's the difference between an okay tart and one that's crisp and ready to hold whatever delicious toppings you choose. With a good blind bake, your creations are set to impress anyone who takes a bite—seriously good stuff.

INGREDIENTS

Shortcrust pastry to line a 9.5-inch diameter pan: Type 00 flour 2 cups (250 g); Butter 0.55 cup (125 g) - cold; Powdered sugar ¾ cup (100 g); Egg yolks 2; Fine salt 1 pinch

Brisée pastry to line a 9.5-inch diameter tart pan: Butter 3.5 oz (100 g) - cold; Water 4 ¾ tbsp (70 ml) - iced; Type 00 flour 1.6 cups (200 g); Fine salt 1 pinch

How to do blind baking

First, roll out the shortcrust pastry (click Shortcrust pastry for the recipe) if you're preparing a sweet dish, or the brisée pastry (click Easy Shortcrust Pastry for the recipe) for savory preparations. Place the shortcrust dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll it out with a rolling pin to a very thin thickness, about 1/8 inch 1, then wrap it around the floured rolling pin 2 and place it on a non-stick tart pan 3. We used a 9.5-inch pan for this amount of shortcrust pastry.

Make sure it adheres well to the tart pan 4. To assist you with this operation, you can take a leftover piece of dough, shape it into a ball, wrap it with cling film 5, and use it to press the pastry perfectly, applying light pressure on both the edges and the bottom 6.

Then, use the rolling pin to press down on the upper edges of the tart pan to remove the excess shortcrust pastry (7-8); you can also cut away the excess pastry with a small knife. At this point, refrigerate the shortcrust pastry for 30 minutes, or 15 minutes in the freezer, to firm it up and help it maintain its shape.
Remove the pan from the refrigerator and prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork 9, but be careful not to go too deep, or you risk piercing the bottom and the filling might leak out.

Place the pan on parchment paper and draw the circumference of the pan with a pencil 10, then cut it out 11 and place the resulting circle inside the pan 12

and arrange it to cover the sides as well 13. Then place the dried legumes inside 14 and press them well into the pan 15: the beans should reach the edges to evenly distribute the oven's heat across the entire surface.

Then bake the pastry for about 15-20 minutes in a preheated oven at 392°F 16. Remove it from the oven, and take out the legumes and parchment paper 17. At this point, the edges will be nicely golden but not the bottom 18. Bake again for 10-15 minutes at the same temperature so that the pastry dries out and becomes golden.

Remove the base from the oven 19 and brush it with beaten egg on the base to isolate the filling (20-21). Return it to the hot oven for a couple of minutes, so the egg forms a sealing layer. Now your base is ready to be filled with pastry cream or jam!
Now that the base is ready, why not try this delicious Fruit tart, or a delightful Quiche Lorraine

Storage

The base for sweet or savory pies, once baked, can be stored for up to two days before being filled. Keep it under a glass dome in a cool, dry place.

Tip

The legumes used for blind baking cannot be cooked and eaten, but they can be stored and reused for other blind baking.
If you don't have dried legumes, you can place a smaller diameter pan on top of the rolled-out pastry.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.

How to do blind baking

PRESENTATION

INGREDIENTS

How to do blind baking

Storage

Tip

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