Blind Baking

To Blind-Bake Your Crust:

1. Fit the crust to the pie plate and crimp the edges. Dock the crust a few times on the bottom and up the sides.
2. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the pie crust and fill it with dry beans, rice, or pie weights; they should fill the pan all the way to the top. This will help the crust hold its shape and not shrink while baking. I typically use dried beans for this and save them to reuse.
3. I suggest placing your crust in the freezer for at least 10 minutes, or in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, to firm up before baking to prevent shrinkage.
4. Bake in the bottom third of the oven at 400°F/205°C for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights from the crust. Return the crust to the oven. For a partially baked crust (if the filling will also be baked), bake for another 6–8 minutes, until the bottom is just starting to set. For a fully baked crust, bake for another 12–15 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown and fully set.
6. If your filling will not be baked, let the crust cool completely before adding it. If your filling will be baked in the crust, you can add it as soon as it is ready.