Pie Weights: How to Utilize Them (And Their Benefits)

While researching numerous recipes for pie crusts, you may have come across a number that recommend using pie weights What precisely does this imply? Why do you have to weigh your pie? And, most crucially, is this a path you can just avoid, or will it have disastrous baking consequences?

I can answer any of your questions as we learn about pie weights and if they are worth acquiring.

Par Baking

While creating a pie, many recipes instruct you to par bake the pie crust, which means to bake the pie crust without the filling until it is nearly entirely cooked. The reason for this is simple: you don’t want the crust of your pie to be mushy.

As you pour the filling into the pie crust, you’re putting a lot of liquid on top of it. All of that delicious, wet pie liquid will keep the crust from fully cooking.

Thus, if you forgo pre baking and bake the whole pie at once, crust, filling, and topping, the bottom pie crust will most likely be undercooked. Nobody wants uncooked pie dough!

The answer is to bake the crust separately from the filling before putting it to the pie. This ensures that the crust will be baked and flaky, rather than a raw, doughy mass.

While creating a pie, you do not want to miss the par baking step (the same goes for tart dough or anything else that advises par baking). Always bake ahead of time).

Not So Flat

So you created a great pie crust, rolled it out beautifully, and carefully put it in the pie pan, crimping the sides properly. You set it in the oven to pre-bake it.

Then, 10 minutes later, you open the oven to discover the crust has shrunk into the pan and the bottom has swelled up significantly. A perfect pie crust looks like a glob of puffed dough. What the hell happened?!?

Pie dough is created with layers of butter or shortening, and as that fat starts to cook, it creates steam, which puffs up the dough. The steam may be really strong; it can cause your pie crust to rise excessively, which is not what you want when preparing a pie.

You want the pie’s bottom to be flat! Otherwise, there won’t be enough room for all of that delectable pie filling. So, how do you keep that momentum going?

Wait, Pie Weights?

Of course, pie weights are the solution! But I’m sure you already knew that. By laying something heavy on top of the pie dough at the bottom of the pie pan, the steam will not be able to puff up your crust and the dough will bake flat.

Steam is quite strong, yet it can only raise so much weight. Pie weights are a simple way to keep the bottom of your pie crust nice and level.

What to Use…

Since pie weights are so useful and necessary for baking a lovely consistent pie crust, you may purchase a variety of weights to utilize. Pie weights come in a variety of forms and sizes, ranging from little ceramic balls to smooth stones.

The following are the most important factors to consider while selecting pie weights:

1. It is a material that will not be damages when placed in a super hot oven
2. The weights are heavy (obviously as they are called weights!)
3. The weights cover the entire bottom of the pie crust (you don’t want any puffy random bubbles!)

Certainly, there are several pie weights available for purchase, but guess what? You may also utilize items you already have around the home. Dried beans and grains are also excellent choices for pie weights that check all of the requirements.

In a pinch, tiny teaspoons or ceramic coffee cups would suffice. When using unusual pie weights, attempt to cover as much of the pie crust’s bottom as possible to maintain the crust appearing level and homogeneous.

How To Weight

Although it may be tempting to just put the pie weights over the dough, don’t! To begin, line the pie crust with foil or parchment paper to prevent the pie weights from baking into the dough (yes, this can happen!).

When you’ve lined your raw dough crust, you may add your pie weights. Even them out and start baking!

After the crust has par cooked, remove it from the oven and allow the crust and the weights cool. Try not to remove your pie weights when they are still hot!

Remember how they were barely out of the oven at 350 degrees? When they come out of the oven, they will also be 350 degrees. Just wait till the weights are removed.

After the pie weights have cooled, pull them out using the foil or paper liner and return them to the container from which they came. Save the weights for your next pie.

Take a seat and admire your flawlessly flat pie crust! It is bursting to the seams with delicious stuffing.

No Weight?

If you don’t have pie weights or anything else to weight down the crust while it bakes, you may do a few things to keep it from rising.

After the uncooked dough is in the pie pan, prick it all over with a fork. Putting plenty of little holes allows steam to escape as it cooks, perhaps preventing the crust from rising.

You can also make a pie crust sandwich by placing a second pie pan on top of your pie crust (pie pan, crust, another pie pan)! This will undoubtedly add weight to your crust.

Nevertheless, before you forgo the pie weights, search around your kitchen for anything else you can use- your pie will thank you!

Get Some Weights!

By now, you should understand the significance of utilizing pie weights while blind baking (par baking) a pie crust. You actually need to use something to keep your crust flat.

Pie weights are inexpensive (particularly when you use one of our fantastic alternative optionsheck like $1 dry beans! ), simple to use, and reusable.

All of these factors combine to make pie weights a must-have in every baker’s kitchen. Superb pie crusts are on the way!