How to line a tart tin with pastry recipe

Learn how to line a tart tin with pastry following this simple step-by-step guide and video tutorial.

Watch how to line a tart tin with pastry and blind bake it too. This technique can be applied to most pastry but we’ve chosen to use shortcrust pastry. Shortcrust pastry is a classic pastry often used for the base of both sweet and savoury tarts.

Ingredients

• Shortcrust pastry
• 20cm tart tin
• Ceramic baking beans

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6. Roll out the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin.
2. Lay the pastry over a 20cm tart tin and using your finger, press the pastry into the edges and up the side of the tin.
3. Trim the excess pastry. Chill for 15 minutes in the freezer.
4. Prick the base all over with a fork. Fill with a piece of scrunched up baking parchment or foil and fill with ceramic baking beans.
5. Bake the tart for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 10 minutes, until pale golden in colour and the base feels sandy to the touch.  

Top tips on how to line a tart tin with pastry

How do you stop the pastry from sticking to the tin?

If you opt for a non-stick tart tin then it's less likely that your tart will stick to the tin once baked. We’d recommend Tala Performance non-stick loose bottom tart tin.

It’s also best to buy a loose-based tart tin. You can then push the tart up out of the tin (once cooled of course) to remove it easily from the tin.

If you’re still not having much luck getting the tart out of the casing, you could lightly spray the tin with non-stick spray, oil, or grease with a very light layer of butter.

Why should I blind bake a tart?

In this step-by-step, we blind bake our tart before using it. Blind baking the pastry ensures that the pastry is cooked before adding the tart filling. It will stop the tart from having a soggy base and will help the tart to hold its shape.

You can buy ceramic baking beans online or in cookware shops for blind baking but we would recommend Tala ceramic baking beans.

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