Blind baking (or "pre-baking") need not be difficult or time consuming and can be done while other ingredients are being prepared. Blind baking can seem like an unneccesary step in the art of pastry cooking, but it is vital to keep pastry from becoming soggy. http://www.taste.com.au/how+to/articles/284/blind+bake

Blind baking is pre-baking the pastry component in a recipe without the filling, to ensure that it won't become soggy by sealing the surfaces that will be in contact with the filling. It is particularly useful when the filling for the pastry is wet or liquid and may soak into the pastry, or when the filling requires little cooking, and would not benefit from the extra cooking time required to bake the pastry.http://www.piemaven.com/blind_bake.htm It is also a good idea for thicker pastry to ensure it is cooked all the way through. Blind baking will ensure that your pastry is crisp and strong enough to hold the filling.

Blind baking might be used when making using short crust pastry to make savoury dishes such as quiches, or when using sweet pastry to make traditional pies and other desserts, such as pumpkin pie, banana cream pie, cherry pie, or tarts. Blind baking is easy and will produce a professional and delicious finish for your pastry dishes.

In order to blind bake pastry you will need the following items:

A pastry type suitable for the recipe This can either be store-bought frozen pastry or home-made pastry. If using frozen it must be thoroughly defrosted first.

A suitable dish This will usually be a ceramic, tin or silicone oven-proof dish, of the type you need for the recipe, i.e. a pie dish or a flan dish.http://www.four-h.purdue.edu/foods/Baking%20techniques.htm

Dried beans, rice or pastry weights or beads These are to weight down the pastry so it does not rise while cooking and spoil the shape.

Baking paper To line the pastry for the beans or weights. Try to get a sheet wide enough to cover the entire dish.

Optional: Egg and pastry brush If you want to brush an extra glaze onto the pastry.

Make sure you have completely defrosted the pastry. If making your own pastry, roll it out until it is no thicker than .5 inches, but 1/8 inch thick is best.http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/classic_pie_crust.aspx. Roll firmly, but resist the temptation to stretch the pastry, as this may cause it to shrink later on. Line the dish with the pastry, dropping it gently on the counter a couple of times to ensure it is fully settled into the corners. Trim excess pastry with a knife.

Now cover the dish with a clean tea-towel or baking paper and chill in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. This will firm the pastry and help prevent it from shrinking when it bakes.http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2006/03/how_can_i_keep_a_pie_crust_fro.html

Take the pastry from the freezer and uncover it. Use a fork to pierce several holes in the bottom of the pastry to allow some airflow. This is called docking. Do not pierce more than two or three times as this could allow the finished dish to leak. Do not pierce pastry in dishes that won't be blind baked.

Line the pastry with baking paper. Remember to ensure the paper will be easy to remove at the end by leaving some overlap. Now, pour dried beans, rice or baking beads into the pastry base. Press down very lightly to ensure they are snugly into the corners of the dish. This will help prevent air bubbles from lifting the base of the pastry and deforming it.

Now bake the pastry according to the recipe you are following. General guidelines are to bake the pastry for around 10 minutes at 400F (200C), then remove the beans and bake for a further 3-5 minutes until the pastry is a light golden brown. Keep an eye on the pastry to ensure it doesn't go too dark, as it will still need to cook again with the filling.

An egg glaze is sometimes used to put an additional barrier between the filling and the pastry. This step is optional.

If you wish to use the glaze, beat the egg with a fork until it is well combined. Then, when the pastry comes out of the oven to have the beans removed, allow it to cool for a few minutes, then brush it with the egg, making sure to cover all surfaces of the pastry. Return the pastry case to the oven to finish baking (as above, for 3-5 minutes, or when it is a light golden brown).

When you take the pastry out, allow it to cool for several minutes. During the previous steps, while the pastry is in the freezer or cooking, you might like to prepare the filling. When the pastry case has cooled for several minutes you can add the filling. Follow the recipe instructions for baking the filling, or reduce the heat of the oven to around 350F (180C) and bake until the filling is cooked.

If you are worried about further browning the pastry, you can reduce this by covering the edges of it in foil. It may also help to precook the filling a little, although for quiches and other dishes where the filling sets quickly, this might not be possible.