The best pies are made with homemade pastry, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a good pie with shop-bought pastry. Shortcrust pastry is the most essential pastry for any baker, whether you make your own or buy it. There are so many ways to utilise shortcrust pastry and there are so many recipes that require it – from tarts and quiches to pies and pasties. But what do you do if you have bought shortcrust pastry? Is it only good for topping other dishes or can you bake them as well? If you’ve ever asked yourself ‘Do I Have to Blind Bake Shop Bought Shortcrust Pastry?’ then this blog post will answer all your queries.
What is Blind Baking?
Blind Baking is a technique used to cook the pastry before filling and baking the whole thing. It is needed because a lot of fillings, especially sweet ones, contain a lot of moisture. Blind baking ensures the pastry is done before being filled and baked in the oven. This is important because if you don’t bake the pastry enough, it will be soggy. If you over-bake the pastry, it will become too dry and crumbly. Blind baking is the best way to ensure a delicious pastry every time.
Why Do You Have To Blind Bake Shop Bought Shortcrust Pastry?
It will allow you to make a nice, crisp, delicious pastry. It will also prevent the filling from getting soggy as it will be baked separately from the rest. Blind baking means that you’re baking the pastry without the filling. This will give you a chance to judge how long you need to bake it for and how high you need the temperature to be so it turns out perfectly. It will also give you a chance to judge how much you need to add water to the pastry. If you add too much water, the pastry will be wet and sticky. If you don’t add enough water, the pastry will be crumbly and hard.
How to Blind Bake Shop Bought Shortcrust Pastry?
If you’re baking a pie with shop-bought pastry, you will need to blind bake the pastry. What you need to do is roll out the pastry and line the pie tin, adding some baking paper to the bottom. Make sure you prick the base of the pastry with a fork so it doesn’t rise. Blind baking pastry for a tart is slightly different. Instead of lining the pastry in a tin, you will need to line the tart tin. Make sure you put baking paper and a pie weight at the bottom to prevent it from rising. Blind baking pastry is easy to do and you just need to follow a few tips to ensure you don’t mess it up.
Tips for baking shop-bought shortcrust pastry
Turn your oven down to the lowest temperature and make sure to keep an eye on the pie so it doesn’t burn. It can take anywhere between 10-25 minutes to fully blind bake, depending on the type of pastry and the filling. Always keep an eye on it. When you put the filling inside, increase the temperature to the temperature specified in the recipe.
Conclusion
The best pies and tarts are made with homemade pastry, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a good pie with shop-bought pastry. Blind baking shop-bought shortcrust pastry will allow you to make a nice, crisp, delicious pastry that will not only look professional but will taste amazing as well. It will also prevent the filling from getting soggy as it will be baked separately from the rest. Follow these tips and you will be able to bake shop-bought pastry just as well as you would your own.