Alternatives To Ceramic Pie Weights

Pie weights come in several forms.

Alternatives to ceramic pie weights.

There are ceramic balls and also metal chains which coil around the inside of the pie crust and are easier to lift out because they re connected. As far as pie baking is concerned there are several options for pie weights. Both the ceramic and metallic balls can be found in the market today at a reasonable price. These pale beads of clay are meant to be placed on top of a piece of parchment inserted into your pie.

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. In case you don t have some pie weights for this step here are some substitutes that could help you achieve the same results. Your homemade pie weights will probably be too dry to cook and eat afterward but don t toss them. Use pantry staples as pie weights.

Pie weights when to use them while baking. The paper or foil prevents the weights from sticking to or becoming embedded in the dough and make removal of the weights easier. Alternatives to pie weights commercial pie weights usually take the form of ceramic balls. The most common one you see are ceramic pie weights.

The key to getting the perfect pie lies in getting the crust just right. A sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil is placed over the crust and the weights are then placed on top. You wouldn t want an undercooked soggy soft crust to go with your pie. They are even better than pie weights when it comes to blind baking.

As far as what kinds of pie weights to use you have options. While a set of real weights is a nice addition to your baking collection you don t have a set of official weights because you can easily make your own using things that you have in. 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. The blind baking technique can help you avoid this.

You can find both for around 10 to 15. It can be a ceramic or a metal ball that is used when creating a perfectly shaped pie crust. Line the inside of your crust with foil or parchment paper and fill it with dried beans rice or popcorn kernels. But you can also use dried beans if you have some hand.