How To Prebake Pie Crust

When it comes to pie, there are a lot of ways to go about it. There are savory dinner pies, quiches, and all sorts of different pastries, but the one thing they have in common is that they all require baking before filling to ensure a flaky, crisp crust.

How To Prebake Pie Crust

Whether you’re using store-bought or homemade dough, pie crust needs to be blind baked before it’s filled with your favorite filling. Without this step, the liquid in your filling will prevent the crust from getting flaky and crisp.

There are a few ways to make sure your crust is baked before you add your filling, but my favorite way is to blind bake it first. The key is to keep a few things in mind while doing it so you can get the best results!

Fully Blind Baking

If your pie filling requires a long bake (like sugar cream pie) or a very short one (like custard pie), you’ll want to blind bake it before you fill it. Then, once the filling is in the oven, you’ll be able to give it an extra head start and bake it further so the crust is cooked throughout.

Partially Blind Baking

For a pie that will need a longer bake, like a pecan pie, you can partially prebake the crust before adding your filling. Just be sure to leave enough room for the filling to fit.

Then, you can blind bake the pie until the bottom is dry and just beginning to brown, but not quite golden in color, about 15 minutes. You can also brush the bottom and sides of a partially baked pie crust with an egg white to seal it.

Docking the Pie Crust

Another classic technique that can prevent air pockets from forming is to dock the crust, or poke holes in it with a fork. This will help the steam escape during baking and prevent your crust from puffing up unevenly.

But docking a crust can also be risky: If your filling is very liquid, the filling might leak through those holes and make the crust soggy.

To help prevent this, a simple solution is to use pie weights to weigh down the lined crust. Pour the weights into your lined crust, making sure they cover the bottom and come up the sides.

You can use any kind of pie weights you have, or you can try using dried beans or clean coins. Just make sure to line your crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil so it won’t shrink and slip while it’s in the oven.

I personally prefer to use pie weights because they give the pie crust extra support as it’s baking, but if you don’t have them on hand, you can try using some dried beans or clean coins. Just make sure the weights aren’t too heavy, as this could cause the crust to collapse while it’s baking!