Rolling, Lining and Blind Baking
Cooking Skills: Pastry 1
Chapter 2 · Rolling, Lining and Blind Baking
Skill goal
Roll pastry evenly, line a tin without shrinkage and bake a case that stays crisp under a filling.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
Rolling is simple, but small habits matter. Use just enough flour to stop sticking; extra flour dries and toughens the pastry. Roll from the centre outwards, turn the pastry a quarter turn after every roll, and keep it moving so it does not stick to the worktop. Aim for about 3 mm, the thickness of a pound coin. If it cracks or warms, chill it.
A tart with a wet filling needs a base that is cooked first, called blind baking: the case is baked empty, weighted with baking beans so it does not puff or slump. Then a brush of beaten egg seals it, so liquid cannot soak in. This is the cure for the soggy bottom. The case recipe in chapter 1 is shortcrust; for a custard filling in a case, see Cooking Skills: Eggs 2, chapter 4.
The method
- Dust the worktop lightly, roll from the centre outwards and turn the pastry a quarter turn after each roll.
- Lift the pastry on the rolling pin and ease it into the tin, pressing into the corners without stretching.
- Leave a little overhang, then chill for 20 minutes; pastry shrinks when it first heats, and the overhang is trimmed after baking.
- Line with baking parchment and fill with beans right up to the edges, then bake at 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6) for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the beans and paper, brush with beaten egg and bake for 5 minutes more to seal and dry the base.
| Case | Bake before filling | Filling | Time (approximate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blind-baked case | 15 + 5 minutes | Any wet filling | 35 minutes |
| Jam tarts | None (baked with filling) | Jam | 25 minutes |
| Sweet case, lemon curd | 15 + 5 minutes | Lemon curd, set cold | 40 minutes |
| Treacle tart | None (baked with filling) | Syrup and crumbs | 55 minutes |
Hot oven, hot beans and hot syrup
Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away from the oven door.Hot beans: baking beans hold heat for a long time. Lift the paper and beans out with the edges of the parchment and tip them into a heatproof bowl.
Hot syrup and sugar: syrup and jam fillings become hotter than boiling water and stick to skin. Let a tart cool for 15 minutes before cutting, and take care with hot jam when eating tarts straight from the tin.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
A blind-baked tart case
The foundation of every tart in this course. Make it, cool it and fill it with whatever you like. Keep the baking beans in a jar for next time.
Ingredients (1 case)
- 1 batch of plain shortcrust (chapter 1)
- 1 tbsp plain flour, for rolling
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 sheet of baking parchment
- 300 g baking beans, dried rice or pulses
- Roll the pastry to 3 mm and a circle about 5 cm wider than the tin. Lift it on the rolling pin, ease it into the tin, press it into the corners and leave the overhang. Chill for 20 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6). Prick the base with a fork, line with parchment, fill with beans and bake for 15 minutes.
- Lift out the paper and beans, brush the case with beaten egg and bake for 5 minutes. Trim the edge with a knife and cool in the tin.
Hot oven and raw egg
Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away from the oven door.Raw dough and raw flour: raw flour and raw egg can carry germs, so don't taste raw pastry or filling that contains raw egg or raw meat. Wash hands, bowls and the worktop afterwards, and keep tasting for the cooked result.
Level 1 · Quick
Jam tarts
No blind baking needed: the filling is small and cooks quickly. The skill here is cutting rounds that fit and not overfilling, because jam bubbles out and sticks.
Ingredients (12 tarts)
- 1 batch of plain shortcrust (chapter 1)
- 1 tbsp plain flour, for rolling
- 12 tsp jam, any flavour
- 1 egg, beaten (optional)
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6). Roll the pastry to 3 mm and cut 12 rounds with a cutter slightly larger than the holes of the tin. Press them in gently.
- Put 1 level teaspoon of jam in each, no more, or it will boil over. Brush the edges with egg if you like.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before lifting out.
Hot jam and oven
Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away from the oven door.Hot syrup and sugar: syrup and jam fillings become hotter than boiling water and stick to skin. Let a tart cool for 15 minutes before cutting, and take care with hot jam when eating tarts straight from the tin.
Level 2 · Sweet
Lemon curd tartlets (sweet shortcrust)
Sweet shortcrust has sugar and an egg yolk, which makes it crisper, richer and a little more fragile. Blind-bake the cases, cool them, and spoon in lemon curd. Shop-bought curd works, or make your own.
Ingredients (12 tartlets)
- 200 g plain flour
- 100 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 50 g icing sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 200 g lemon curd
- Rub the butter into the flour and icing sugar, add the yolk and water, mix to a dough and chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll to 3 mm, cut 12 rounds and line a tart tin. Chill 15 minutes, then prick, add squares of foil and a few beans and bake at 190°C (170°C fan, gas 5) for 12 minutes.
- Remove the foil and beans and bake for 5 minutes until pale gold. Cool completely, then fill with lemon curd.
Hot oven and allergens
Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away from the oven door.Allergens: contains gluten, egg and milk; lemon curd contains egg.
Level 3 · Classic
A treacle tart
Golden syrup, breadcrumbs and lemon in a shortcrust case. The breadcrumbs soak up the syrup so it sets rather than runs. The sugar caramelises on the top and the lemon cuts the sweetness. Serve warm with custard or cream.
Ingredients (8 portions)
- 1 blind-baked case (above)
- 300 g golden syrup
- 100 g fresh white breadcrumbs
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1 egg, beaten (optional)
- Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan, gas 5). Warm the syrup gently in a pan until runny, then stir in the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and juice and the egg if using.
- Pour into the blind-baked case.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until set and golden. Cool for 15 minutes before cutting.
Hot syrup and oven
Hot syrup and sugar: syrup and jam fillings become hotter than boiling water and stick to skin. Let a tart cool for 15 minutes before cutting, and take care with hot jam when eating tarts straight from the tin.Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away from the oven door.
Allergens: contains gluten, egg and milk.
Experiments
Experiment
Rested or unrested lining
Shrinkage.
- Line one tin and bake it straight away, and line a second and chill for 20 minutes before baking.
Look for: The unrested case shrinks down the sides; the chilled one keeps its shape. Chill every lined tin.
Experiment
Baking beans or none
Puffing.
- Blind-bake one case with beans and another with only a fork-pricked base.
Look for: The unweighted case puffs and slumps; the weighted one stays flat with straight sides.
Experiment
Egg seal or not
Sogginess.
- Seal one blind-baked case with egg and leave another bare, then fill both with a wet filling and bake.
Look for: The sealed base stays crisp; the bare one is softer under the filling.
Experiment
Tin on a hot tray
Base cooking.
- Bake one tart on a preheated tray and another on a cold shelf.
Look for: The preheated tray gives a golden, crisp base. The cold shelf gives a paler, less crisp one.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blind-baked tart case | ||||
| Jam tarts | ||||
| Lemon curd tartlets | ||||
| Treacle tart | ||||
| Rested or unrested lining | ||||
| Baking beans or none | ||||
| Egg seal or not | ||||
| Tin on a hot tray |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Pastry cracks when rolling | Too cold or too dry | Let it stand for 5 minutes and patch cracks with water |
| Pastry sticks to the worktop | Too warm or not enough flour | Chill it; dust with a little flour, lift and turn often |
| Case shrinks | Not rested or stretched | Chill the lined tin and ease, don't stretch |
| Soggy bottom | Not blind-baked or sealed | Blind-bake, seal with egg and use a preheated tray |
| Case puffs up | No weight | Use beans up to the edge and prick the base |
| Edges burn | Too hot or too long | Cover the edges with strips of foil |
Hot oven, raw egg and leftovers
Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away from the oven door.Raw dough and raw flour: raw flour and raw egg can carry germs, so don't taste raw pastry or filling that contains raw egg or raw meat. Wash hands, bowls and the worktop afterwards, and keep tasting for the cooked result.
Keeping and freezing: raw pastry keeps in the fridge for about 2 days wrapped tightly, and freezes for about 3 months (general guidance). Cooked pies and tarts keep for about 2 days chilled; reheat pies until steaming hot all the way through, and freeze cooked pies for no more than about 2 to 3 months.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can roll pastry to an even 3 mm.
- I can line a tin without stretching.
- I can blind bake and seal a case.
- I can use a hot tray for a crisp base.
- I can fix a case that shrinks or puffs.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Pastry 1, chapter 3 is Savoury Tarts and Flans: keeping the base crisp under a wet filling.