what to do if you dont have parchment paper for blind baking

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So you've decided to make your family unit a delicious summertime fruit tart, or take reward of the fall'southward harvest past blistering a sweet pumpkin pie, but in that location's just ane snag… the recipe calls for blind blistering the crust and the addition of pie weights, and that's not something you keep hanging effectually your kitchen.

But don't fear. While there's a big multifariousness of different pie weights (encounter how they're typically used) bachelor today for the domicile baker, there are enough of substitutes that yous can use if y'all're in a hurry, and unlike techniques you tin can use for blind baking.

Some easy alternatives for pie weights include dried rice, beans, or corn, steel balls, metal chains, sugar, and a second, smaller pie form. We'll take a look at each of these in more detail beneath.

Merely first, allow's have a footstep back and explore what blind blistering is, and when and why you might have a need for pie weights.

What Exactly is Bullheaded Blistering?

Blind baking is essentially the pre-blistering of a pie or tart crust without the filling. It can be either partially or fully baked depending upon the recipe. The filling is then added to the pre-baked crust and broiled further if required.

You tin can learn more well-nigh this procedure in my commodity about blind baking.

When Should I Blind Bake?

There are several situations when a crust may demand to be blind baked. In some recipes, such as those for fresh fruit tarts, cream pies or chocolate pudding, the crust is baked merely non the filling.

In these recipes, the pie crust or tart shell will be fully blind baked before the filling is added.

Other fillings may require just a short period of blistering or a lower temperature than the crust, so the crust will need a head-start if it is to become crisp. Custard pies for example tin curdle if baked for too long.

A pie crust tin also go soggy (encounter my tips for preventing this from happening) if the filling is too wet, as with quiche and some fruit pies, and blind blistering helps to prevent this.

Why Do I Need Pie Weights?

One problem with blind baking is that without a filling to concur downwards the pastry, the dough tin can puff up every bit steam produced during blistering gets trapped in the dough'southward gluten construction. This can lead to an uneven chaff, and over- or nether-broiled areas.

Shrinkage of the sides equally they bake can besides exist an issue, and the sides even take a tendency to autumn in or collapse. Pie weights solve these problems by filling the crust during blind baking and holding it in place.

Hither's dainty video that shows the effects of using pie weights (stale beans in this example) when blind baking. Skip alee to about the two:45 mark:

Alternatives to Pie Weights

Commercial pie weights usually have the course of ceramic balls. A canvass of parchment paper or aluminum foil is placed over the chaff and the weights are and then placed on peak.

The paper or foil prevents the weights from sticking to or becoming embedded in the dough, and brand removal of the weights easier.

Pricking the dough with a fork – known as "docking" – is often suggested as an alternative. Information technology helps the steam escape, and tin reduce the amount that a crust puffs upwards, merely the sides tin still be a problem and wet fillings can seep through these holes into the crust, making information technology soggy.

Luckily there are plenty of alternatives to pie weights that you might have lying around the business firm or right in your kitchen, which can be used as a substitute and volition work merely equally well.

ane – Dried Beans, Rice, Popcorn

You may already accept heard of "blistering beans," which are merely dried beans used as makeshift pie weights. Rice, popcorn or like stale foods can as well be used, and are something yous may have on hand in your kitchen.

They can fifty-fifty be re-used and kept as permanent pie weights.

2 – Steel Assurance or Other Metallic Objects

Pocket-sized steel balls or other metallic objects have the added advantage of property and then radiating rut to the crust, which can help to give a more fifty-fifty bake.

Make sure that any items that y'all utilise are clean, and oven safe.

3 – Metal Chain

In addition to the to a higher place benefits, a metallic chain is much easier to handle – just brand sure yous have oven gloves on when you remove it!

four – Sugar

Sugar is cheap and in every kitchen pantry. Simply mold some aluminum foil around the pie crust and upwards the sides, then fill the crust with sugar. Information technology will make full every nook and cranny of the pie tin, making sure that the dough is firmly in place.

Re-employ the saccharide several times before using it in your favorite recipe for a toasted, caramel flavor.

5 – Another Pie Grade

Peradventure the most ingenious substitute is to lay some other, smaller pie form over your parchment paper or aluminum foil. This tin can and so be inverted and baked upside downwardly on a baking tray, to allow gravity to work its magic!

No more than puffing, and no more shrinkage of the sides. A gear up of pie forms which fit inside one another would be perfect for this solution.

Boosted Tips

• Chilling or freezing your crust before blind baking tin can also assist to prevent puffing. It also reduces the likelihood that your foil or parchment paper volition stick, or that you volition damage any fancy fluting.
• Pricking your chaff with a fork tin can be a good safety measure even when using pie weights. Just don't do this with very wet fillings.
• E'er call up to take a layer of foil or parchment paper between your chaff and the weights. This stops them from sticking, makes removal easier, and prevents flavors or aromas from transferring to the crust.
• If y'all find that the bottom of your bullheaded-broiled crust comes out a little soggy when using aluminum foil, try parchment paper instead.
• Make sure that your pie weights are evenly distributed over the surface of the crust, and pushed out to the sides. Keeping the weights in an oven purse tin make removal of them easier.
• Commercial pie weights tin exist quite heavy, so adjust the quantity of weights you use accordingly. You may need two layers of dried beans, but simply i of steel assurance.
• Some recipes call for a crisp, gilt crust. Remove your weights and foil or newspaper one-half mode through blind baking to allow the crust to bake fully and develop some color.
• If you find that the sides of your crust are burning or baking faster than the bottom, make certain to fully cover the sides with foil or purchase a silicone pie chaff shield.

Follow the advice above and you should be baking perfect pie crusts every fourth dimension, no affair your pick of pie weights!

Now that you accept the chaff figured out, here are some clever ideas for your leftovers!

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Source: https://www.bakingkneads.com/pie-weights-substitute/

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