What's the purpose of pie weights?

Table of Contents:

1. What's the purpose of pie weights?
2. How many pounds of pie weights do you need?
3. What can substitute for pie weights?
4. Do you put pie weights directly on crust?
5. Can you put pie weights directly on dough?
6. What are the best beans to use for pie weights?

What's the purpose of pie weights?

Pie weights prevent the crust from forming air pockets that bubble up or shrinking as it cooks. They weigh down the dough, so that it holds its shape and stays firmly nestled against the pie plate.

How many pounds of pie weights do you need?

Pie Weight Tool: Ceramic Pie Weights To fill an entire pie shell with enough weights to properly blind bake the pie, I needed 2 pounds or 4 packages of these pie weights, which is important to note when you go to buy them. To use these, I lined a pie crust with parchment and filled it with the weights.

What can substitute for pie weights?

Alternatives to Pie Weights

• 1 – Dried Beans, Rice, Popcorn. You may already have heard of “baking beans,” which are simply dried beans used as makeshift pie weights. ...
• 2 – Steel Balls or Other Metal Objects. ...
• 3 – Metal Chain. ...
• 4 – Sugar. ...
• 5 – Another Pie Form.

Do you put pie weights directly on crust?

When blind baking, the pie crust is usually lined with parchment paper (or a substitute) and the pie weights go on top of the parchment, then the whole thing is baked. Make sure to spread the weights around so they're evenly distributed from the edge to the center and not all just piled in the center.

Can you put pie weights directly on dough?

It will create an overhang that you can use to pull out the weights or beans. If you try to bake it with the beans on the surface it will cook directly into the dough and your shell will be ruined.

What are the best beans to use for pie weights?

If you have dried beans in your pantry, these can come in handy as pie weights, too. The type doesn't matter, so use chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, even lentils. After using them a couple times, retire them as pie weights and turn them into dinner.