I haven got any baking beans, what can I use?

[HeadFairy]

I don't have any dried pulses I can use either. I need to blind bake a tart casing, what can I use? Do I need to blind bake at all?

Scrunched up tinfoil can work

The blind baking is to make sure it's cooked before you put the filling in, but to make sure it doesn't burn or rise, so I would if possible, just to make sure it's not soggy.

If you have a loose bottomed tray could you use the bottom, if you have no tin foil?

Bliind baking is mainly needed if you don't want the base to be soggy (so really only if you've a wet filling).

I'm assuming you know to line it with tin foil or baking paper, right? Then if you haven't got baking beans or dried pulses, rice should do.

n.b. Saint Delia claims you can do without blind baking. See www.deliaonline.com/how-to-cook/baking/how-to-bake-a-pastry-case.html. I haven't tried this myself.

Oh thanks, didn't think of rice.

I've used rice.

DM just pricked lemon meringue bases with a fork and baked them open.

I just prick with fork and bake also, it works.

I've pricked as well. It's in the oven now so hopefully it'll turn out ok.

I also use rice, I had a bag of basmalti that I couldn't cook right so use that. It can be used again and again so probably worked out cheaper than baking beans for me.

I've used lentils over a disc of baking paper, or whatever dried beans I had hiding at the back of the cupboard.

Heston scrunches up baking parchment and then flattens it out inside the case and then uses copper coins on the basis they conduct the heat better. I haven't tried it though. I have half an idea the pastry might adsorb their flavour but he probably wouldn't have put it in his book if it did.

Rice works as long as you remember the lining of paper, otherwise you spend half an hour picking out grains of rice embedded in your base and trying to convince the kids that 'yes there are supposed to be crunchy bits in the pastry bottom'

I've used coins to no ill effect.

meddie - I managed to do that once as well!

I use scrunched up foil too.

What are you making [nosey].

I used coins and rice, just dont accidently try and put the coins back in the piggy bank as soon as you take them out of the oven!

I just do holes with a fork and use nothing with home made pastry. It does not rise anyway.

Otherwise terracotta beads? The DC's marbles? Rice is a good idea.

I have a jar of baking lentils (it was all I had to hand at the time, and I've kept them for that use since). You can use pretty much any dried pulse with parchment. My friend uses pebbles which she cleaned.

I also use lentils.

Top tip: don't forget to put a layer of greaseproof paper down first. It takes ages to remove all the little lentils by hand...........not a mistake I'll make again

I used popcorn kernels recently and it worked really well, but it was funny because some of them actually popped. Luckily me and the kids were happy to eat a bit of popcorn before dinner 😂

I think the answer is basically anything you have in the cupboard which is heavy and not likely to catch fire, anything which absorbs moisture is a bonus. strangely I haven't seen pasta recommended anywhere even though that seems like it would be perfect

https://you-well.co.uk/best-baking-beans-alternatives/

although if you're baking a lot you might be as well to buy new baking beans because lentils, rice etc. can only really be used once. £5 ish seems reasonable https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-700g-ceramic-baking-beans/p/0237888

Lots of options as mentioned, James Martin uses flour! I have a huge container of marrowfat peas for years for this purpose.

Zombie thread - 10 years old!

And we still didn't get to find out what she was making