How do I prevent my par baked tart shells from shrinking?

Susan Sears
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3 Comments

petitbleu January 27, 2015
I have a few pointers. One, what Monita said about the beans is good advice; I would add to completely fill the pie shell with beans--to the brim. I find that a lot of people don't fill their pie shells enough, and the edges shrink down. Two, chilling the pie dough is crucial. I would even go so far as to tell you to freeze your crusts before baking. A lot of pastry chefs freeze tart shells before baking to get an immaculately smooth edge with no shrinkage. Three, be careful when rolling out the dough. If you stretch the dough, it will shrink in the baking process. As you roll it out, check it constantly to make sure that it isn't sticking to your work surface. I actually rotate the dough after each pass with the rolling pin. At first, this is awkward, but after you do it for a while, you get the hang of it. Hope this helps!
 
Susan S. January 27, 2015
Thanks from a novice baker!
 
Monita January 27, 2015
Once you've rolled the dough into your tart shell be sure to chill in fridge. Then make sure when you par bake stage 1 (with parchment and baking beans) that the beans lay flat against the edges of the shell so that there are no air pockets. I have found these 2 steps really help prevent shrinkage
 
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