Blind baking is a common practice in the baking world. The definition is to partially or fully bake a pie or tart crust before adding the filling. Since a pie of tart dough has a tendency to warp during cooking, it must be weighted down so that it can retain its shape.
To blind bake, simply line the pie dish or tart pan with whatever dough you're using. Preheat the oven, usually to 325 or 350. Lay a coffee filter or similar type of paper over the lined pan and fill it with some kind of material that will not burn or weigh the dough down too much. Dried beans are the preferred method in most bakeries as they are inexpensive, don't burn easily, and are heavy enough to hold the dough down without crushing it. Also, beans are able to fill all of the corners. I'm not sure how well rice would work, but it might be worth a try.
Blind baking is generally used for pies with wet fillings to give the crust a head start and avoid undercooked crust. I like to blind bake at home just to shorten the final baking time. If the crust has a head start, it won't take the pie quite as long to bake once the filling is in it. Also if the pie is cream or chiffon filled you'd have to bake the pie shell in advance anyway as the filling shouldn't be cooked any further.
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