Pricking a pastry case

[Binky]

When I was at school and had Domestic Science lessons, we were taught that you should prick a raw pastry case before baking. This advice was common and we even had 'baking beans' in order to pre-bake the pastry case.

Watching Michel Roux this afternoon he baked a walnut caramel flan but didn't pre-bake the pastry case. He made the filling and poured it into the case then baked it.

Why did we bake blind (as it was called) and has that cookery technique now fallen from favour?

[Busybee]

I was taught exactly the same Binky - late 70’s. Mary Berry also blind bakes, as does St Delia. One recurring comment on GBBO is about ‘soggy bottoms’ and the need to blind bake.

Did the camera show you what the pastry bottom looked like in the finished product?

BB

[Suelle]

I think it depends on how wet the filling is. I'm happy to make a Bakewell or frangipane tart without blind-baking the pastry case first, but for something like a custard based dessert or savoury quiche I would blind-bake first.

[Binky]

I was taught exactly the same Binky - late 70’s. Mary Berry also blind bakes, as does St Delia. One recurring comment on GBBO is about ‘soggy bottoms’ and the need to blind bake.

Did the camera show you what the pastry bottom looked like in the finished product?

BB

No, we didn't see the bottom of the lattice tart.

He made a generous caramel sauce and dropped fresh walnuts into it.This mixture was poured into the pastry case with the lattice strips on the top and then popped in the oven.

As usual the guests smacked their lips and pronounced it delicious but as it's a TV programme maybe they're saying it's lovely and then spitting it out when the camera isn't on them (call me an old cynic).

[Earthmaiden]

I too was taught to blind bake. Later, when we were making quiches for public consumption we didn't and they seemed fine. I think we were probably lucky I'm not that bothered as long as it has cooked and isn't horribly soggy.

I wouldn't usually bother at home unless the filling was very moist and not likely to thicken (eg. stewed fruit or certain types of custard). I always would if I was trying to impress.

I expect Michael Roux made an acceptable offering.

[Suffs]

I think that blind baking for a quiche/tarte with an egg custard-type filling is the best way as it gives good crisp base… that’s because the pastry can be baked at a higher temperature than you would use to cook the filling which really just needs ‘setting’. A high temperature would result in a leathery filling.

However I don’t blind bake the pastry case for a ‘non-custardy’ tart or something like a sausage and egg pie (how would you seal and crimp the edges?) and the base is always cooked and perfectly acceptable because for the first part of the cooking the oven is set at a high temperature which cooks the pastry and then if it’s a pie the oven is turned down a bit while the filling continues to cook.