How To Pre-Bake A Pie Crust (2024)

SAVE THIS RECIPE

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

This site is protected by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

How to Pre-Bake or Partially Pre-Bake a Bottom Pie Crust

#1. Preheat the oven and prepare a foil liner.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Tear off a large piece of aluminum foil - about 16 inches long. Invert a pie plate so that it's upside down on the counter. Shape the foil to the pan, pressing it all around the pan so that it takes on the same shape. Remove the foil, careful to retain the shape of the pie pan and set aside. Set the pie pan right side up and set aside.

#2. Roll out the pastry and fit it into the pie plate.

Sprinkle some flour over a clean work surface. Keep about ½ cup of additional flour within arm’s reach. Put one piece of the dough on the floured work surface and sprinkle the top with more flour. Roll the dough out into a 14-inch circle. I like to use a long rolling pin with tapered ends for this process.

Using a large, flat spatula, gently fold the pastry in half and then in half again so that you have a folded triangle of dough. Place the dough in a 9 ½ inch pie pan so that the point of the triangle is in the center of the pan. Gently unfold the pastry to cover the pan.

Place the dough in a pie plate so that the point of the triangle is in the center of the pan. Gently unfold the pastry to cover the pan and use your fingers to press the dough into the corners of the pan, letting the edges of the dough drape over the sides of the pan.

#3. Trim and shape the edges of the dough.

If you have more than about 1-inch of dough hanging over the edge of the pan, trim it off.Fold the dough that’s hanging over the edge of the pan under itself so you have a cylinder that rests on the edge of the pie plate.

With one hand on the inside of the edge, and one hand on the outside, use the index finger of your inside hand to push the dough between the thumb and index finger of your outside hand to form a U or V shape. Continue this crimping motion around the entire edge.

#4. Weigh down the pastry.

Take your pre-shaped piece of foil and gently press it over your pie crust in the pie pan. Fold the edges of the foil over the edges of the crust very gently so as not to wreck your beautifully shaped edges. For the first several minutes of baking, it's important to weight down the pie crust. Otherwise the crust will puff up as it bakes making it very difficult to fill later on. I like to use dried beans to weight the crust, but you could also use pie weights. (I've been reusing the same beans for years, storing them in a ziplock bag.) You'll need 1-2 pounds of dried beans.

#5. Bake the pastry.

Place the pan in the center of the pre-heated 400 degree oven and bake for 17 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and gently pull up the edges of the foil and remove from the pan along with the beans.

Using a fork, pierce the crust bottom all over, 10-12 times, gently twisting the fork with each piercing to slightly enlarge the holes.

Put the pan back into the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes for apartially bakedpie shell and 17 - 20 minutes for afully bakedpie shell. A fully baked crust should be a light golden color. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a wire rack until ready to fill.

How to Keep the Edges of the Pie Crust from Burning:

If you are fully pre-baking a pie crust and it looks like the edges are in danger of burning, here's what to do:

1. Cut two pieces of aluminum foil that are about 2 feet (24 inches) long. Set the foil pieces on a baking sheet so that they are perpendicular to each other.
2. Set the pie in the center of the foil. Wrap the foil up and over the edges of the pie crust, crimping the foil so that the edges of the pie are loosely covered. This will protect the edges of the crust from burning.

A Few of My Favorite Pie Recipes:

• Caramel Apple Pie
• Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup
• German Apple Pie
• The Best Blueberry Pie
• Sweet Cherry Crumb Pie
• Mixed Berry Plum Pie
• Chocolate Cream Pie
• Coconut Cream Pie

📖 Recipe

How To Pre-Bake a Pie Crust

Yield: 1 pre-baked or partially pre-baked pie crust

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 39 minutes 27 seconds

Total Time: 54 minutes 27 seconds

Making a pie that calls for the bottom crust to be pre-baked or partially pre-baked? Here's how.

Ingredients

• Fool Proof Pie Crust Dough, well chilled (or your favorite pie crust dough)
• 1 - 2 pounds of dried beans (or pie weights)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
2. Tear off a large piece of aluminum foil – about 16 inches long. Invert a pie plate so that it’s upside down on the counter. Shape the foil to the pan, pressing it all around the pan so that it takes on the same shape. Remove the foil, being careful to retain the shape of the pie pan, and set it aside. Set the pie pan right side up and set it aside.
3. On a floured surface, roll the pie pastry into a 14-inch circle. Using a large, flat spatula, gently fold the pastry in half and then in half again so that you have a folded triangle of dough. (See pictures above for reference.)
4. Place the dough in a pie pan so that the point of the triangle is in the center of the pan. Gently unfold the pastry to cover the pan and use your fingers to press the dough into the corners of the pan, letting the edges of the dough drape over the sides of the pan.
5. If you have more than about 1 inch of dough hanging over the edge of the pan, trim it off. Fold the dough that’s hanging over the edge of the pan under itself so you have a cylinder that rests on the edge of the pie plate.
6. With one hand on the inside of the edge, and one hand on the outside, use the index finger of your inside hand to push the dough between the thumb and index finger of your outside hand to form a U or V shape. Continue this crimping motion around the entire edge.
7. Take your pre-shaped piece of foil and gently press it over your pie crust in the pie pan. Fold the edges of the foil over the edges of the crust very gently so as not to wreck your beautifully shaped edges.
8. Pour the dried beans into the foil or add the pie weights. (I’ve been reusing the same beans for years, storing them in a ziplock bag.)
9. Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 17 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and gently pull up the edges of the foil and remove from the pan along with the beans.
10. Using a fork, pierce the crust bottom all over, 10-12 times, gently twisting the fork with each piercing to slightly enlarge the holes.
11. Put the pan back into the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees, and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes for a partially baked pie crust and 20 - 22 minutes for a fully baked pie crust. A fully baked crust should be a light golden color.
12. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a wire rack until ready to fill.

Notes

How to keep the edges of the pie crust from burning:

If you are fully baking a pie crust and it looks like the edges are in danger of burning, here's what to do:

1. Cut two pieces of aluminum foil that are about 2 feet (24 inches) long. Set the foil pieces on a baking sheet so that they are perpendicular to each other.
   Set the pie in the center of the foil.
2. Wrap the foil up and over the edges of the pie crust, crimping the foil so that the edges of the pie are loosely covered. This will protect the edges of the crust from burning.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 

  Pyrex Easy Grab 9.5" Glass Pie Plate

• 

  OXO Good Grips Flexible Turner

• 

  Totally Bamboo Rolling Pin

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest