How to bake blind

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Pastry is an art, and just as an artist prepares the canvas, so the pastry chef must prepare the pastry. So, how do you bake blind?

Blind baking involves pre-baking a pastry case, either partially or completely, before adding your filling. Ceramic or dried beans are usually poured into the pastry case, on top of a sheet of greaseproof paper, to prevent the pastry rising when it is in the oven.

If you add a wet filling, such as custard or fruit, to an uncooked pastry case, your tart is very likely to have a soggy bottom. Equally, the filling may cook more quickly than the pastry, resulting in an overcooked filling.

See how to bake blind in our video here:

Tart recipes:

Pesto, pea and watercress tartlets

Honey and walnut tart

Giant Portuguese custard tart