Forget weights use sugar.
Can you use marbles as pie weights.
You may need two layers of dried beans but only one of steel balls.
Some recipes call for a crisp golden crust.
Then once you remove the weights to blind bake the crust.
You wouldn t want an undercooked soggy soft crust to go with your pie.
But you can also use dried beans.
Commercial pie weights can be quite heavy so adjust the quantity of weights you use accordingly.
Set parchment paper or foil on top of the dough then fill er up with dried beans.
If you re blind baking and don t have pie weights try using.
It s not that weights aren t essential only that my go to choice is far less traditional.
Why use pie weights when you can use these things instead.
If you don t own pie weights there are plenty of things in your pantry that you can use instead.
Without the presence of filling the crust can slump down into the plate as it bakes necessitating pie weights to help keep its shape.
The key to getting the perfect pie lies in getting the crust just right.
You can find both for around 10 to 15.
Rocks the right size and shape rock will make a perfect weight.
Pie weights are used to keep a pie crust from bubbling and shrinking away from the edge of the pie plate or tart pan when you re blind baking a fancy term for prebaking a crust.
The blind baking technique can help you avoid this.
They may actually even work better than ceramic weights since the heat from the steel will help to cook the top of the crust to an extra crispy doneness.
Be sure to boil them first for about 20 minutes to kill any competing or harmful bacteria.
Remove your weights and foil or paper half way through blind baking to allow the crust to bake fully and develop some color.
There are ceramic balls and also metal chains which coil around the inside of the pie crust and are easier to lift out since they re connected.
As far as what kinds of pie weights to use you have options.
Be careful though that the marbles are paint or glaze free.
Marbles tied a in cheesecloth or muslin marbles work well because they can easily fit whatever size or shape jar you are using.
Although if the sides are collapsing it sounds like the dough is too warm when it goes in the oven or the oven isn t hot enough to set the crust.
If it s more convenient for you to visit a hardware store or machine shop than a kitchen store you can use steel ball bearings as pie weights.
