Step 1

Heat the oven and roll out the pie crust. Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Roll out the pie crust and transfer it to your pie plate as normal (see more on this here). Trim the edges and crimp.

Step 2

Line the pie. Cut off a large square of parchment paper or aluminum foil and use it to line the pie. Snug the lining right up against the edges and sides of the pie.

Step 3

Fill the pie with weights. Pour the pie weights into the pie dish. Make sure they cover the bottom of the pie and press against the sides of the pie. The weights on the bottom will keep the pie from puffing up and the weights against the sides will keep the sides from sagging as the crust bakes.

Step 4

Bake until the edges are barely golden. Place the pie on the baking sheet and bake until the edges of the crust are just starting to turn golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven.

Step 5

Remove the pie weights. Grasp the corners of the parchment (or foil), and lift the weights out of the pie. Transfer them to a bowl or plate to cool. The bottom of the pie will still look wet and un-cooked at this point.

Step 6

Return the crust to the oven. Return the crust to the oven. Bake until the bottom looks dry, another 5 minutes. If the pie will not be cooked again with the filling, bake for another few minutes until the edges of the crust have browned and the bottom is lightly golden. The bottom crust will puff a bit as it bakes, but will deflate again when you remove the pie from the oven.

Step 7

Continue with the pie recipe. Check your recipe — some pies are assembled while the crust is still warm, others need the crust to be completely cooled.