Line the dough with foil

Preheat the oven to 400°F or according to your recipe. Line the dough with a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, making sure to press the foil into the fluted edges of the dough. 

Add weights

Fill the foil-lined crust with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Make sure the weights cover the entire bottom of the crust. Bake the lined crust until dry, about 15 minutes or according to your recipe.

Check the crust

Check to see if the crust is ready by pulling up one corner of the foil. If the foil sticks, the crust is not fully dried. Return it to the oven, checking again every 2 minutes.

Remove the weights

Carefully remove the weights and foil. Most recipes call for the crust to be baked again until partially baked, about 5 minutes longer, or fully baked, about 10 minutes longer.

Let the crust cool

If filling a fully bake crust with an egg-based filling or for a tart that’s served cold, let the pastry crust cool for at least 30 minutes in the pan on a wire rack.

Unmold the crust, if needed

Pies are usually served right from the pan, while tarts are typically unmolded. To unmold a tart crust or a filled tart, carefully press the removable bottom up through the tart ring. Use an offset spatula to release the crust from the bottom of the tart pan.