pie dough

At what temperature and how long do I bake a pie shell using your recipe? Thanks!

Hey there!

If you are wanting to bake then fill your shell, here are two ways you can do it.

From the King Arthur Flour website:

1. Bake with weights in the center.

This choice is perfect when you’re making a tall and/or fancy crimped edge.

1. Place your crust in the pan, and crimp the edge. Line the crust with a parchment round (9″, for a 9″ pie), or paper coffee filter.
2. Add pie weights, dry rice, dried beans or (as I’ve done here) dry wheat berries, enough to fill the pan 2/3 full. Chill the crust for 30 minutes; this will solidify the fat, which helps prevent shrinkage.
3. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the pie from the oven, and lift out the paper and weights. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, to prevent bubbles. Return the crust to the oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the crust is golden all over.

The second method used to blind bake pie crust is perfect for pies with a flat edge, one where you don’t need the extra height – and aren’t particularly worried about appearance.


You can Sandwich the crust between two pans, and bake it upside down.

This method is absolutely perfect for those of you who’ve struggled mightily with crusts that slump – particularly all-butter crusts.

1. Place your crust in the pan. Flatten its edge – decoratively, if you wish, though any decoration will probably disappear.
2. Spray the outside of another pie pan (preferably a duplicate of your bottom pan) with non-stick spray, and nestle it into the crust. If you’re at all worried about the crust potentially sticking to the second pan, line the crust with a parchment round before setting the second pan on top.
3. Chill the crust for 30 minutes, to solidify fats and prevent shrinkage.


Place the pan upside down on a baking sheet, so that the empty pan is on the bottom. Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated 375°F oven.

Gravity ensures that as your crust slips “down” the side of the pan, it’s actually moving up!

Remove the crust from the oven. Use a spatula to carefully turn the pan over, so its crust side is up.

Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork.

Return the crust to the oven, and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes…

…until it’s golden brown all over.

This method is ideal for pies where the edge of the pie plays second fiddle to its top – hello, Lemon Meringue!

Warm Dishes'
Mama